Béarn carried almost the entire interwar carrier burden, just as Charles de Gaulle now concentrates France's fixed-wing carrier capability in one hull. Mistral-class amphibious ships add useful aviation capacity, but they do not remove that dependence. Maintenance or technical problems can therefore interrupt national carrier availability. Possessing a carrier is different from sustaining a carrier capability that is available whenever it is needed.
Notable Point · 17:19-18:04
The recurring vulnerability of a one-carrier fleet
Béarn and Charles de Gaulle show the availability risk created when France concentrates fixed-wing carrier aviation in one hull.