About the ski-jump on the L ships, I didn't get the idea about the NAVY's
opposition to the installation of ski-jumps on the LHD/A's from the internet, I actually was told by a former MARINE AV8B pilot on why it never would be allowed to be installed (safe for some big unforeseen war which pretty much requires the ski-jump added capacity).
An LHA with a ski-jump would factually be a real carrier, the loss of a heli landing spot is a bogus argument, besides the fact that it would only be 1 spot there is an added benefit from operating with a ski-jump.
Without the jump, at MTOW the STOVL operations need the full deck to manoeuvre and take-off leaving helo operations temporarily severely restricted.
With a ski-jump they could operate from an intermediate point on the deck leaving the backside open for continued helo ops or as an emergency fighter-jet recovery zone while continuing take-offs.
The lifts could be used much more efficient also with the middle elevator functioning separately from the rear elevator effectively making much better use of the deck.
The ski-jump itself would be , for the biggest part, a semi-width forward extension construction , something which would be a fairly easy retrofit on both the latest AMERICA and the WASP-class, further eliminating helo-pad loss and increasing available take-off length (think +40-50ft).
The only reason it is not done until today is because of NAVY politics regarding their big carriers, that was what I as told anyway.
The MARINES operated from the ILLUSTRIOUS about 5 years ago with great succes (and a hell of a lot of sorties) and where lyrical about the ski-jump.
they already tried the ramp on land;
And the LHA(D) are set up perfectly for a Ski-jump already,
