What's the purpose of carriers?

[i8pikachu]

They can only hold five planes, max, and the selection is limited.

For as many resources as they use, I can't figure out how they would be useful in the game.

[GIJoe597]

It is 5 squadrons of planes, since each unit icon is a squadron not a single unit. They can be very useful for a variety of things. There are other threads you can search for and see some uses.

[stephen]

i use them to carry my fighters over oceans (like Atlantic), and fight expeditionary wars, it makes it more real than just get a air transit treaty and bring the fighters to the enemy's neighbour.
3 carriers (large ones) can load 15 squadrons, and if you have 15 squadrons of F-35CV's armed with some good anti armor missiles and use them properly, they can do a lot of damage.

[Chesehead]

Their also good as dual purpose cargo ships, and can supply nearby forces, while embarking some planes.

[barkhauer]

Carrier are absolutely vital for establishing a long-range beachhead somewhere. Not only can they provide air support to help get the units inland against resistence, they can be used for supply until you manage to seize and repair a pier.

[kxx]

The only carrier which can carry 5 is the Henry Ford(?).
Are there other big carriers? It seems to me that the russian, chinese and european carriers can only carry one or two planes.

Do Transport helicopters/planes load up cargo on a carrier?

[GIJoe597]

CVN-78 Gerald R. Ford, President. Henry Ford created Ford line of vehicles and the automated assembly line for automobiles. It can carry 5 squadrons of planes, there is at least 1 more that I can think of, it is also a U.S.A. carrier and way up there on the tech ladder. Name eludes me, but it might be the Gates.

If you have any aircraft on a carrier it will reload fuel and normal supply. BG refuses to allow carriers to resupply missiles while at sea for some odd reason, despite the fact it happens on a daily basis.

[kxx]

tx

[Ruges]

Also my mod adds several carriers that are capable of carring 5 or more squads.

[ricaluanna]

Now I know what carriers do.Thanks

[oberkommando]

Now, that we are merged in the subject. Would somebody give me/us an idea of a well formed Surfaced fleet including Carriers?
I have not used any yet. There are many strategies i have not carried out. And i would be pleased to see some one posting pictures where carriers and support fleet unfold in battle.

[GIJoe597]

Modern day example of CVBG "composition"

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News Article-

The USS Enterprise CVN 65-Big E Strike Group, the US Navy's largest air carrier, will join the USS Stennis and the USS Nimitz carriers, building up the largest sea, air, marine concentration the United States has ever deployed opposite Iran. This goes towards making good on the assurances of four carriers US Vice President Dick Cheney offered the Gulf and Middle East nations during his May tour of the region.

The "Big E" leads a strike group consisting of the guided-missile destroyers USS Arleigh Burke DDG 51, USS Stout DDG 55, Forrest Sherman DDG 98 and USS James E. Williams DDG 95, as well as the guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg CG 64, the SS Philadelphia SSN 690 nuclear submarine and the USNS Supply T-AOE 6.

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This AAR has some screen shots and details on a fleet moving and the thoughts behind its composition. I do not think it has Carriers though. I cannot remember the individual specifics about my AARs now.

http://www.bgforums.com/forums/viewtopi ... a&start=15


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Carrier Discussion thread - http://www.bgforums.com/forums/viewtopi ... up#p116201

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For my part I am very careful to never use what I consider to be unrealistic or overwhelming forces. For example I usually only maintain 3 - 4 CV(N)s. CVBG fleets consist of the following;

CVN-78 - 5 Squadrons of F-35C CV
2x BB-16 Shore bombardment/AA/Anti Surface missiles
2x CG-90 AA/Shore Bombardment (no missile load as I want all the supply for AA guns and bombardment)
2 x DDG-1000 AA/Shore Bombardment (same as CG-90)

When at war with a respectable sea power, I will have SSN's ranging ahead and on the frontal flanks of this fleet.

As new designs become available this evolves. Some of the later designs have much better AA capability. The down side is they have much smaller internal supply loads.

I tend to have a Bombardment/AA fleet with this one consisting of 7 vessels with excellent AA/Bombardment. Once the Task Forces nears a hostile coast this TF moves in first to clear the way and obtain local Air Superiority, assisted by the Fleet Air Wing. The CVBG stands out approx. 150 miles "behind".

Logistical support comes from a fleet of 5 AO/AOE (TAKR-287 ALGOL - Not the largest capacity but its speed makes it a better choice for global use).
2 CG(N) (the Cruisers have better range than Destroyers which means the supply vessels use less supply keeping their escorts)

[oberkommando]

Hi once again GI.

Excellent Post. Thanks a lot, looking through the web for a while i have seen the evolution of see warfare, but this news article as an example is quiet revealing.

I will check the AAR and make my own deployment of ships and i´ll see whats best in game.

Thanks.

Good day you all.

[GIJoe597]

One point about organizing fleets. I do not place all 7 ships of the CVBG in the same hex. I will place the DD(G)s ahead of the main fleet approx 3 hexes forward and just enough to left and right so thier field of view overlaps. You can see all the hexes around the fleet are visible. The point is to protect that mobile airfield at all costs.

[Niko465]

You can make a bridge for low range plane or helicopters.
Vital to esbablish a beachhead on the American, Russians or Chinese costs.
The Makarov carrier can carry 4 squadrons.