Just for the record, not everyone on here shares the antipathy to the carriers that has become notably more vocal in some quarters as the vessels approach service entry. And NAB is not a lone voice in the wilderness.
There are some who are clear that binning the carriers is not the way to address current problems and that they represent a level of capability that wouldn't be remotely matched by a purely escort-based navy; and that we're likely to have cause to be glad we have that flexible capability in the years ahead as the world becomes an increasingly unpredictable and dangerous place.
None of which is to say that we don't need more escorts, and other conventional capability, because we do. But binning some of the most capable assets we have just invested in isn't the answer. Defence needs to be properly funded and I'd respectfuly suggest that commentators would do well to get behind that idea rather than approaching things from an internecine perspective.