[dila813]

“He said last Spring that the US is the only nation that has figured it out.”

Your teacher isn't very knowledgeable on aircraft carriers.

France, India, Britain, .... no it isn't easy but just having an aircraft carrier isn't that big a deal.

No what is a big deal with the US Carriers ... their ability to operate out at sea for years without hitting port and without requiring lay-up.

[garjog]

“No what is a big deal with the US Carriers ... their ability to operate out at sea for years without hitting port and without requiring lay-up.”

OK. That is what my expert friend must have meant.

He said something about our ability to protect them from nuclear radiation when a nuke explodes next to them by some kind of sea water washing system.

[NTHockey]

>>No what is a big deal with the US Carriers ... their ability to operate out at sea for years without hitting port and without requiring lay-up.<<

Ha, you have obviously never seen a carrier hit port after 30 DAYS at sea. The crew spends like Congress, drinks like there’s no tomorrow and fights like MMA.

My first trip to Hawaii and we see the USS Ranger anchored off Diamonhead. They had been kicked out for destroying the EM Club at Pearl. Later they got kicked out of Oakland - their HOME PORT.

[tanknetter]

Your teacher isn't very knowledgeable on aircraft carriers.

France, India, Britain, .... no it isn't easy but just having an aircraft carrier isn't that big a deal.

Actually, the teacher is pretty knowledgeable on the subject.

Building a carrier, even taking one to sea is one thing. Effectively operating it is entirely another.

Next to the US, the French have the "best" carrier capability. By a lot of accounts, the De Gaulle has been a near-disaster - up to and including its recent operations in Libya.

Hell, you might as well strike the Brits off the list, since the doesn't even HAVE a carrier capability anymore. With the retirement of the Harriers all it has are two LPHs (one a bit more glorified than the other).

With the exception of the US the CVs of all the "carrier navies" are just white elephant "national prestige" ships with very little - if any - value when it comes to actual power projection.

Varyag is no different.