Carrier air groups have added capabilities while retaining their original reconnaissance, strike, protection and support functions. Aircraft size and mission methods changed, but the need for a nearby mobile base remained. A land-based aircraft sent to maximum range can deliver a planned strike with little time left to hunt moving targets, maintain overwatch or provide continuous air support. In the illustrative distant-base case, the force might manage only one strike group a day unless many aircraft were assigned, and the long sorties would accelerate wear. Aircraft cannot be rearmed in flight, so a carrier close to the operating area can recover and relaunch them at a tempo that would require a much larger force from distant bases.
Notable Point · 1:19:27-1:21:22
Sortie endurance and rearming preserve the carrier's value
Very long-range land-based sorties can hit prearranged targets, but they struggle to sustain hunting, overwatch, air support, and repeated rearmed missions over a distant maritime area.