Thanks for putting this site together.
Two thoughts:
First, it sure proves that the US is the world's babysitter.
Second, what's with all those ski ramps on the front? Most everybody else seems to be using them. Are we missing out on a design benefit?
"This is what you do when you can't design a decent catapult, or don't have the money or the will to build a full carrier"
Catapaults allow us to get aircraft in the air with more ordinance and more fuel. The ski jump is really only for the VSTOL aircraft, or the nations who haven't figured out catapaults yet. When you go off a sky jump, your ordinance and fuel are restricted because you can't have as much weight.
The British know catapaults...but they lost the political will to maintain real carriers. What they have doen with the Invincible class is great...but they are going back to the large carriers now.
I think the VSTOL carriers are great for close in fleet protection and limited close air support. If we get a VSTOL AEW for them and when the JSF is going, it will make them even better...and free up the main line carriers for other serious work. Nothing beats a large, fixed-wing, long legged, full deck carrier wing when it comes to force projection. A parking air force just off anyone's shore. A moving, fully functional air filed.
Just my thoughts on it.