Never-built designs expose intended roles because they have no operational record to blur the original requirement. That makes them unusually clear evidence for what planners hoped a carrier would do, even though they cannot show whether the concept would have worked in service. A carrier's principal weapon is its air group rather than a permanently installed gun or missile battery. The hull can therefore change missions across its life if it can accommodate and operate relevant new aircraft. Obsolescent aircraft or restrictive hangar, deck, and launch dimensions can undermine the whole system.
Notable Point · 34:45-36:17
The carrier as an adaptable aircraft system
Unlike a warship defined by fixed weapons, a carrier remains relevant by operating new aircraft that fit its hangar, deck, and launch-and-recovery system.