Castle Federation makes carrier dynamics matter

Castle Federation treats carriers as part of a fleet whose fighters, battleships, and support ships all have distinct roles. Older carriers remain useful but face structural wear, replacement pressure, and a widening size gap as newer drives favor larger hulls. Avalon cannot use the latest rapid-launch tubes, so its flight deck is reconfigured to launch a large part of the air group in a different way. That adaptation lets an underestimated old ship generate a dangerous sortie more quickly than opponents expect, while the series also allows intelligent enemies to interfere with carrier plans.