The Aircraft Carrier Question: Obsolete or Not?

[Peter1469]

We already have expensive aircraft carriers. Cut the flying squadrons in half and use the extra space to load up on unmanned aerial, and undersea, vehicles.

Too bad Dell got himself banned. As a Navy guy he would have a decent take on this.

Anyway, there is no reason why the air wing can't be configured in any number of ways depending on the mission.

[Chuck]

They have other useful missions they can perform well other than as a mobile airbase. And in fact when the cost savings of drones over manned aircraft get more pronounced they will be even more effective in the future. I think we need more smaller ones though, based on how successful FDR's decision to go with smaller carriers rather than focusing on producing giant carriers was in WW II. Some will claim that would be 'fighting the last war' and wrong, but I think the increased firepower has far surpassed anything we had in WW II and brought that strategy around full circle. Better drones means more aircraft per ship with bigger payloads as well.