Modern carrier conversion: RIMPAC
January 2nd, 2009 From
>Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 10:35:10 -0800 (PST)
>From: Tracy Johnson
>To: consim-l@net.uni-c.dk
>cc: MAHAN-L
>Subject: Re: Modern carrier conversion: RIMPAC
>Precendence: bulk
>Sender: mahan-owner@microworks.net
>Reply-To: mahan@microworks.net
>
>On Wed, 10 Dec 1997, Eric Wignall wrote:
>
> > Now, I’m the last person on this list to follow naval warfare closely
> > (what with so few ships having treads attached to them) but I am
> > curious… Are there ships available that can be easily/quickly
> > converted to carrier use (even in a limited sense)? There were quite a
> > few of these conversions in the 30s and 40s as I recall. Could modern
> > supertankers or container ships be used as carriers?
>
>Well the helicopter carrying Amphibious “Flat Top” ships could do well in
>a pinch. There are almost as many of those as there CVs (I think.) Seems
>they may need catapults installed to do what you’re thinking. There is
>probably a reason why they don’t have them installed, such as: “If there
>are catapults on these things Congress will have to treat them as a
>regular carrier and it will be more difficult to have them approved.” So
>if it happens at all, it would have to be an emergency wartime
>modification.
>
>(Someone correct me if Amphibs have catapults. I’m only assuming they
>don’t.)
>
>cc: Mahan List
>
>Tracy Johnson
>Minister of Propaganda, Justin Thyme Productions
>tjohnson@adnetsol.com
>”Trust No One”
>”Semper Pollus”
> ADC-2239-5531