How should three pristine G3 battlecruisers be modernized as carrier escorts?
Short answerReplace the middle turret with VLS, add a stern aviation complex and modern electric propulsion, and use them as surface-action-group flagships.
NotesThe middle main-gun turret is the obvious removal because its weight and volume can become a large vertical-launch battery without unbalancing the bow. The stern can accept a flight deck and hangar, while the superstructure must be rebuilt for modern sensors and command systems. Replacing steam machinery with a Queen Elizabeth-style integrated electric plant would increase range and sharply reduce crew demand. The two forward turrets could remain because removing them would require extensive rebalancing and sacrifice their visible deterrent value. Given three pristine hulls with full service lives ahead, the expense becomes more defensible than it would be for historical survivors. The panel ultimately sees them as independent surface-action-group leaders rather than mere carrier escorts.