A carrier offered more options for limited funds because its aircraft complement could be changed far more easily than a battleship's fixed main armament and mission. Its aircraft could strike at greater range and provide an outer fighter screen alongside the ship's closer defences. Changing aircraft types could redirect the same hull toward different offensive and defensive tasks without reconstructing the ship. This flexibility did not make carriers invulnerable or erase the battleship's remaining uses.
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Why the carrier was the more adaptable investment
A carrier can change missions with its air group, project power farther, and contribute to layered air defence.