Defining a modern escort carrier requires deciding whether any present ship fits the wartime category. In this classification, the Invincible class, some Japanese aviation ships, and some large amphibious assault ships fit the cruiser-carrier role more closely. Vessels around 30,000 tons or more with roughly forty aircraft have fleet-carrier scale even if commentators call them small or baby carriers. Wartime escort carriers could be lighter than contemporary cruisers, so the displacement gap has historical weight. Force planners must decide whether they need a cheap convoy aviation platform or a smaller version of a fleet carrier.
Notable Point · 1:09:45-1:11:15
Why modern light carriers are not escort carriers
Invincible-type ships and large amphibious aviation vessels fit cruiser- or fleet-carrier scales rather than the small wartime escort-carrier category.