Where then, are the escorts - the Type 82's weren't failures, just not needed when CVA01 was cancelledThis hypothetical scenario is based on the premise that the CVA01 carrier program was not cancelled, and all planned 4 carriers were built and replaced Victorious, Eagle, Ark Royal and Hermes.
The Type 42's were built almost as a 'what now then' for fleet air defence.
To my mind, there should be up to 16 Type 82's to defend the four carriers, so this scenario is light 3 x Type 82's. Type 42''s with 22 missile magazines were all compromise until the stretched batch which put them back to where they should be and should not, in the 'alternate timeline' even exist (IMO).