A favorable view of postwar battle carriers points to Jean Bart and Iowa conversion proposals combining heavy gunfire support with helicopters or other aircraft. The opposing view questions whether the aviation fit could offer much beyond the ship's own anti-submarine protection. Repeated heavy-gun blast also threatens aircraft on deck, a problem distinguished from launching anti-ship missiles. Gunfire support brings a ship closer to shore than an aviation-support vessel would want to operate. Aircraft recovery and takeoff require suitable wind and room to maneuver, which can move the ship out of useful gun range. A shortened flight deck makes that dependence on heading into the wind more restrictive.
Notable Point · 2:20:50-2:23:58
Battle carriers: gunfire support and aviation demands
A favorable case for postwar gunfire-support hybrids meets objections over gun blast, distance offshore, and the heading needed for aircraft operations.