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From: schweige@taurus.cs.nps.navy.mil (Jeffrey M. Schweiger)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: CV/CVA Classification
Message-ID: <1991May18.050719.10295@amd.com>
Date: 17 May 91 16:30:25 GMT
References: <1991May17.063307.1690@amd.com>
Sender: military@amd.com
Organization: Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey CA
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From: schweige@taurus.cs.nps.navy.mil (Jeffrey M. Schweiger)


sconway@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Sean P Conway) writes:
>If I remember correctly, the 'A' in CVA stands for 'heavy' not 'attack'.
>This follows the same logic that a CA stands for 'heavy cruiser'.  The
>rationale behind this was to distinguish between the larger and smaller
>carriers.  I have never heard of CVAN, but I have heard of nuclear
>carriers being refered to as CVA's.  Maybe since all modern heavy carriers
>are nuclear, they viewed it as being redundant to include the 'N'.

When used with carriers, as in 'CVA' the 'A' did stand for "attack".  
USS Enterprise (CVN-65) was originally CVAN-65 for Aircraft Carrier, Attack 
(Nuclear Propulsion).  The 'A' was dropped when the ASW role was brought
over from the CVS's and the carriers became multimission.  All currently
operational USN aircraft carriers are CV's (41, 59-64, 67) or CVN's (65, 68 and
on).

If I recall correctly, there was a WWII era 'heavy carrier' designation, which
was 'CVB'.

-- 
Jeff Schweiger	      Standard Disclaimer   	CompuServe:  74236,1645
Internet (Milnet):				schweige@taurus.cs.nps.navy.mil