Germany needs a mission before it needs an aircraft carrier

Should Germany build aircraft carriers?

Only if it intends to field a complete globally deployable task group; a stand-alone carrier for Baltic operations would offer poor value.

A carrier could support German interests in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Middle East, or Far East if Germany also funded the escorts, logistics, and aviation needed for a global task group. In the confined Baltic, however, other capabilities would answer German requirements more efficiently. The platform follows the mission and force structure, not the reverse.