The rebuild of HMS Victorious was a long and drawn out process. One that suffered multiple fits and starts, ending up far more expensive than intended. The ship that came out was a capable one, yes, but not as capable as hoped. And a ship that would, in the end, only see about a decade of further service.

Even so, one can hardly argue that she was a waste of time. Her service was good and she paved the way for a lot of tricks and tactics the Royal Navy would use in the Cold War. That's not a bad legacy to have.