Back to the present - the
NATO Exercise Dynamic Manta has involved Rafales from the French carrier FS
Charles De Gaulle providing air defence for an ASW task group.
During the sea phase of the exercise, complex interactions between Dynamic Manta participating units and the Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group (CSG) were also carried out.
An air defence exercise with CSG air assets (4 x Rafale) increased the surface units anti-aircraft warfare capabilities, say NATO.
You may also find this declassified US Navy document interesting -
Sea Based Antisubmarine Warfare 1940-1977
From page 159 of part 2 (page 370 of the PDF)
The Soviet threat was considered to include the long range naval aircraft Backfire as well as the older Bear, with 50 to 100 of the former anticipated by 1981. In addition "a fleet of 28 missile cruisers and 75 missile destroyers could challenge our surface supremacy while approximately 200 cruise missile and torpedo attack submarines could be deployed against us." Thus, it was, anticipated that the Soviets would mount a full three ~ dimensional threat in the North Atlantic.
Studies had shown that at least three CVs would be required in the Northeast Atlantic primarily to block Soviet long range bombers, most notably Backfires, penetrating the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom (GIUK) Gap into the open ocean. In addition, these carriers would serve to deter the movement of the Soviet surface fleet into the Atlantic basin as well as shielding Iceland and the vital sea lines of communication to England and Europe. As the ASW contest developed these carriers would be stationed at selected distances from the P-3 land bases so that the S- 3s could efficiently conduct area ASW search and SOSUS coordination while optimizing the shore based P-3 effort.
In addition, three carriers were needed in the central Atlantic - close to the mid- Atlantic shipping routes in order to aid in antisubmarine warfare, as well as to counter successful long range reconnaissance aircraft penetrations. This, of course, was the Atlantic Ocean area where the CVE Hunter-Killer Groups had operated most effectively during 1943 and 1944 against the German U-Boats.
The latter role sounds like the designed role for the
Invincible class/Sea King/Sea Harrier. Not a million miles away from a possible QEC/F-35B Lightning/Merlin role.