Would a carrier maintain combat space patrols?

Would a carrier maintain a combat air patrol in space?

Yes; combat space patrols would provide early warning and cover three-dimensional approaches around planets.

A patrol may be unnecessary while the carrier is in hyperspace, but it should deploy once the ship returns to ordinary space, particularly near a planet. A combat space patrol would extend the fleet's awareness beyond the sensors and weapons carried by the parent ship. Fighters could watch multiple approach axes, including positions hidden by a planet from the main formation. In three-dimensional combat, patrols at useful orbital or Lagrange positions could act as tripwires against an ambush. Even a short delay imposed on an attacker could buy the seconds needed for the carrier group to respond.