Recent events (Ukraine/Iran) seem to demonstrate that having aircraft carriers and large conventional forces armed with expensive sophisticated (read costly/complex) weapons systems are no longer of great importance
Have you been living in a cave this last month. Aircraft carriers are essential bases not just to ensure the freedom of navigation but also as a base for assets to prevent activity damaging our infrastructure, like undersea cables etc. They don't just carry F35s!
An aircraft carrier is also a whole load more difficult to hit with a drone than an airfield beacuse it can move.