If the USS America is set up as a “Harrier Carrier” (ironic term since those are F-35B Lightening IIs in the picture), all the helicopters (except some UH-1s for SAR) are sent ashore and additional F-35 are flown aboard to create an embarked fighter squadron of 18-22(?) aircraft (including spares).
That’s about 1/4th the complement of a super carrier like the T Roosevelt.
However...no catapults means no takeoffs at full ammo and fuel load. In addition, aviation ordnance magazine capacity, although much better in the America than its predecessors, is limited. Air assault and close air support operations burn through aviation ordnance stores at considerable rates. That’s where the large, numerous, and multideck aviation magazines of the super carriers cannot be matched.
Can the MV-22 Osprey tanker top off the fighters once they are airborne? I thought that was something they had in the works a few years ago.
Yeah, but with the TR anchored off Guam you sorta knew that the USN was going to have to sortie USS America to fill the gap until another large deck carrier could complete her quals. The TR may be available in a few weeks, but the PLAN is getting frisky right now.