The VLS-reload question underlines a major advantage of carriers. Aircraft weapons and stores can be replenished at sea, allowing the air group to keep generating missions after a surface escort's fixed missile cells have been emptied. Gun ammunition can also be transferred more readily than large vertical-launch missiles. Fleets therefore combine reloadable aviation and gun power with fixed-cell missile ships.
Notable Point · 2:03:01-2:03:46
Carriers keep combat power reloadable at sea
Carrier aircraft can be rearmed at sea more readily than a ship's VLS can be refilled, making the carrier a flexible source of repeated air-defence, strike, and anti-submarine sorties.