Originally Posted by
SpazSinbad
"How many hidden, lethal and modern submarines [missile or hunter-killer] could I buy instead of two QE carriers fully crewed and equipped with aircraft?" inhibits my answer STILL.
Well with 2 carriers and 48 jets between them say all in £13 bn with 1,200 crew.
You'd get about 5 or 6 ish attack boats depending on where you shop.
The Astute costs about £1.5 bn per boat but without a VLS capability is not a great choice for lobbing lumps of explosive long way as one might expect the F-35 to do. If you look to the US Virginia class with VLS they are coming in at about £2.2 bn each ish.
Or slightly less than 2 UK Dreadnaught class (projected at £7.75 bn each with planned contingency to rise to £10.25 bn each)
Of course good though submarines are (and we should have more) they're not a lot of use at air superiority, overland ISTAR or showing flags or cocktail parties or moving marines or disaster relief or ....