United Kingdom
The UK’s carriers, working closely with NATO and allies like the U.S., play a dual role: defending Europe and projecting power abroad, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. The UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG21) deployment in 2021 marked Britain’s return to global naval power after decades of downsizing. Aircraft carriers remain indispensable tools of military diplomacy and force projection, allowing nations to influence events worldwide without permanent bases. While the U.S. holds clear supremacy today, China is closing the gap, and other nations like India, France, and Japan are carving out strategic roles in an increasingly multipolar naval landscape.
