By November 1960, planners wanted each ship to carry 48 fixed-wing aircraft so a two-carrier force could provide 64 operational strike, reconnaissance, and fighter aircraft. The desired defensive fit also grew to include at least two, and preferably four, American Tartar surface-to-air missile systems because no suitable British weapon was available. A new three-dimensional air-search radar, a comprehensive anti-submarine sensor suite, and four hunter-killer helicopters added further demands. Together, these individually defensible capabilities pushed size and cost steadily beyond the programme's original assumptions.
Notable Point · 17:12-18:18
How CVA-01 requirements drove size and cost upward
Air-group growth, guided weapons, three-dimensional radar, anti-submarine sensors, and helicopters steadily expanded CVA-01 beyond its original displacement assumptions.