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From: mcgrew@topaz.rutgers.edu (Charles)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Small carrier missions
Keywords: carrier
Message-ID: <11229@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 8 Nov 89 04:40:48 GMT
References: <11197@cbnews.ATT.COM>
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Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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From: mcgrew@topaz.rutgers.edu (Charles)


    Paul Jayne writes:
    When the subject of small carriers comes up, everyone assumes they
    need to perform the same missions as big ones.  What about convoy
    escort?

   Hmm... assuming that the role would be similar to WWII-era jeeps
(whose role was actually more that of ferrying planes to the big boys,
'escort' carriers did convoy duty, as I recall) - that of subhunting
and long-range (against FW-200's, He-111's, like that) anti-air; a
helicopter carrier (why use F-18's?) would probably be more in order.
Most ships these can do anti-air duty (just give the merchantmen
hand-held infantry AA weapons, if nothing else).

   I think the big/little carrier debate now raging is over
fleet-carrier role, since that's what little carriers would be doing.

Charles