Bismark,
If you get the impression that I imply that the deployment of aircraft costs nothing I do apologise. That is not what I meant for people to pick up on. The cost of deployment is significantly reduced compared to deploying a carrier fleet, even a carrier fleet as small as ours shall be.
I am actually pro carrier. I want one; no, in fact I want three carriers, plus all the necessary assets to protect them. That does not mean one Type 45 and one submarine per carrier. I want a real navy, with lots of ships, boats, aircraft and all the necessary funding that goes with it. I really do. Our political masters don't.
The point I am trying to make is that it would make more sense to deploy a carrier fleet with more than twelve airframes aboard. The ships and boats have a limited number of hours usage. Going to sea places stress and strain on all the bits and pieces that make up a fleet. The same amount of stress and strain is going to be involved whether there are twelve airframes or fourty airframes aboard (simplistic, not taking in to account increased weight, increased crew, increased use of lifts etc).
I therefore believe that we should be maximising the use of everything by deploying more than twelve airframes.
Our political masters might well decide that it is significantly cheaper to deploy aircraft to airfields than to send a carrier fleet on deployment. then there is also the need to take in to account that the carrier defensive vessels might be required elsewhere. We are short of ships and boats, with possibly/ probably insufficient to carry out the necessary tasks.
Then we have the reduced training. This impacts massively on safety. Carriers are very complex floaty things with a lot more risks than on a non floaty airfield.If there is a lack of training risks go up.
Hopefully I have clarified what I have been attempting to get across, obviously unsuccessfully.
EDITED TO ADD
Our Political Leaders are more than likely going to look at costs rather than what is sensible.
Last edited by hval; 2nd Nov 2012 at 12:16.