A short or flat deck may give an F-35B enough surface for basic flight operations. This physical possibility does not turn the host ship into an aircraft carrier. Effective carrier aviation also depends on command-and-control architecture, maintenance facilities, and defensive equipment integrated around the air group. The distinction shifts attention from deck shape to the whole ship-and-air-wing system required for sustained operations.
Notable Point · 3:29:54-3:30:16
Why a flat deck does not make an aircraft carrier
The ability to place an F-35B on a flat deck is not the same as fielding the command, maintenance, and defensive systems of an operational carrier.