Honestly, folks, no-one is suggesting that carrier borne aviation can do everything. I've not heard anyone suggest naval aviation as a replacement for all land based aviation. But, honestly, there does seem to be a little traffic going the other way. Could we not agree that having two large carriers is a really, really, really significant and flexible capability and then work out how best to use them to the max?
Translated into common speak......"Now that we have two of these really really expensive things with some really really really really expensive flying things setting on the roof top.....let's figure out what to do with them all."
Cart....Horse?
I should have thought merely keeping up appearances would have been far better thought out than this.
As to the utility of two Task Groups....assuming both of the bird farms can ever set sail at the same time....and the RN provide enough escorts to guard the Carrier....while it guards the escorts....and they both launch max efforts at Mud Moving....that would be the equivalent of one Land based Squadron approximately.
Memory serves me that stashing all the Eggs into the one basket concept proved a problem in the Falklands when the Atlantic Conveyor got whacked.....what is much different today in that regard?
What amount of success would the Oppo's have to achieve to render your Bird Farm's) Combat In-effective?
If you assign an Attack Sub....or two to each Task Group in addition to some of your Frigates and Destroyers....what opposition force would be required to penetrate those assets and get to the Carrier?
Or....are we thinking one sided scuffles as the reason to be for the new Carrier Task Forces?