The 1986 order of battle contains only about four commissioned Ticonderoga-class cruisers, with several more still working up, plus four nuclear Virginia-class cruisers. These high-end ships stay with the carrier groups where their air defense and endurance matter most. Combining a Virginia nuclear hull with Aegis is an attractive unrealized design, but the scenario remains tied to ships actually available. France's Clemenceau and Foch would probably join the large American carriers in the Norwegian Sea, adding naval aviation to the forward fight. This concentration explains why older Belknap cruisers, rather than the newest ships, appear with the convoys.
Notable Point · 1:22:17-1:26:05
Scarce Aegis cruisers and French carriers reinforce the forward battle
Only a handful of Ticonderoga and Virginia cruisers were available, so NATO would concentrate them with American and French carriers in the Norwegian Sea rather than disperse them among convoys.