A standard carrier air wing includes around 70 aircraft. He cited the greater speed, endurance and logistical capacity of the supercarriers compared to L-class ships-as well as the larger air wings the bigger vessels can support. “I'm confident that over the long run, we'll find that there's not a compelling return on investment to make a smaller carrier,” he said. The surviving L-class ships are all the “light” aviation capability the fleet needs, Harris argued.
It was during one of these refits in San Diego in July that a fire broke out on Bonhomme Richard. In that spirit, the Marines have worked out plans for occasionally embarking 20 F-35Bs on a Wasp or America.Īdding F-35Bs to the older Wasps requires changes to the ships’ decks and internal spaces. The Navy and Marines in the past temporarily have packed as many as 26 Harriers on a single Wasp-class ship.
