Both of Britain’s aircraft carriers, which are said to serve as the backbone of the Royal Navy, would have major battlefield vulnerabilities in a potential conflict with an adversary.

A defense source told The Times newspaper that the UK military had run a whole load of scenarios simulating a full-scale conflict. During these sessions, the Navy’s ability to survive was tested against an equal force. 

The war games, the details of which are secret, involved HMS Queen Elizabeth, the fleet’s current flagship, and HMS Prince of Wales, which were commissioned in 2017 and 2019, respectively.

Designed to project UK power across the globe, both vessels can carry up to 40 aircraft. These include advanced F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters. The carriers can host helicopters for anti-submarine warfare as well as troop transports.

A Times source familiar with the situation admitted that in most war games, the carriers get sunk. He added that the ships are particularly vulnerable to missiles.

One military official explained that the Navy command stretches everything to the limit during these test runs. ’At some point, you will get to a scenario where the carrier is sunk,’ he said.

The British paper noted that China, one of the potential adversaries of the UK, is improving its arsenal of anti-ship ballistic missiles and supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, as well as its radar capabilities.

According to The Times, British military leaders are trying to find assets they can get rid of to save billions of dollars. Discussions are underway about whether aircraft carriers are a must for waging modern warfare.

During a high-profile meeting, the prospect of scrapping at least one carrier to help with financial problems was raised, the report revealed.

However, one source suggested that while all options remain on the table, it is highly unlikely that the UK would decommission one of its carriers. Such a move would downgrade our commitment [to NATO] at a time when the US are signaling moving away.

Former First Sea Lord Alan West said aircraft carriers are among the most versatile assets in the UK’s arsenal.

He added: ’If carriers are so useless, why are the Chinese, Americans and Indians desperately building up their carrier forces?’

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