Q&A · 21:48-22:05

Could small flight-deck ships evade carrier treaties?

A proposal for small oil-and-ammunition carriers meets the practical objection that very small fast ships perform poorly in high seas.

Question

Could navies evade carrier treaty limits with small fast flight-deck ships while other vessels carried fuel and ammunition?

Short answer

The concept is clever, but small fast ships tend to have inadequate seakeeping for reliable high-seas carrier operations.

Notes

The proposal separates aviation support from a simple takeoff-and-landing deck in hopes of avoiding treaty restrictions. Its fundamental problem is the hull: a small ship expected to move quickly with the fleet will generally be a poor platform in rough ocean conditions. Dividing fuel and ammunition among supporting vessels would not remove the flight deck's need for stable, reliable high-seas operation. Treaty ingenuity still had to answer basic naval architecture and seakeeping limits.