Bring the Lightning: How to Solve the U.S. Navy's Aircraft Carrier Problem
The implementation of a Lightning Carrier Strike Group is the stopgap solution for the US Navy’s carrier problem.
by Samuel Arlington Page
A cursory search of news media reveals a startling secret: America is having a hard time getting its aircraft carriers to sea. A nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is a large, complex piece of machinery that requires time-consuming maintenance. While the U.S. Navy attempted to keep a balanced schedule of rotating deployments and overhauls, that schedule quickly unraveled last year as the USS Truman (CVN-75) suffered major electrical problems that kept her from deploying; this prompted the USS Lincoln (CVN-72) to remain underway while postponing her own maintenance. At the same time, the USS Ford (CVN-78) has been plagued by inoperative electromagnetic catapults and elevators that have delayed her for three years.
To relieve the operational pressures on the carrier fleet, a number of analysts have suggested a temporary shift to light aircraft carriers, sometimes called Lightning Carriers. This article aims to thoroughly describe a Lightning Carrier Strike Group, it’s make up and characteristics.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/bring-lightning-how-solve-us-navys-aircraft-carrier-problem-128502
