The Royal Navy lost AD when the SHAR was chopped. Nobody considered opposed landings a possibility without land based or US carrier AD cover hence the move to a common fleet of mud movers that has now been chopped for the reasons given in SDSR.
A flight deck close offshore might be useful
if HMG thinks it essential to mount helo ops to rescue UK citizens. This will not happen unless HMG is confident the attempt will be unopposed. Albion/Bulwark could cope if needed but in the meantime we were lucky Cumberland was in the Med returning home from the Gulf prior to paying off
