Does the USN Navy Need Smaller Aircraft Carriers… for ASW?
The Japanese helicopter destroyer JS Hyuga (DDH-181) alongside the USS George Washington (CVN-73) There has long been a sentiment among some that the fleet carriers of the United States Navy are simply too large, too expensive, and too few in number. Instead, they feel that the Navy should switch to building significantly smaller carriers. The official Navy response to this position is that the possibility has been studied many times and that for the same amount of money smaller carriers will result in a fleet with substantially less combat power. Personally, I am of the opinion that the official Navy position is the correct one and that the current large carriers are the superior option - but there may be an argument for a new class of small carriers focused on antisubmarine warfare. Since World War II, the USN has taken a combined-arms approach to ASW, with submarines, aircraft, and surface ships working together to counter the threat. Of these, submarines are arguably the mos...