So why was there talk of a 'crisis' regarding US Carrier availability?
Anyway...
During the 2011 campaign against Gaddafi, certain carrier critics cited the operating limitations of FS Charles De Gaulle as a limitation of all carriers - ignoring the limitations caused by her size and also by aircraft landing and catching a wire being more sensitive to sea state than aircraft landing vertically. Sea state four was the limit as I seem to remember.
HMS Queen Elizabeth has launched and recovered F-35B in sea state six with fifty knot winds.
Those who argued for smaller carriers were arguing for reduced operating limits, but without reducing cost significantly.
Last edited by WE Branch Fanatic; 1st Nov 2018 at 10:56.