Good point Rifleman but to achieve what you imply you need to have the means and power to destroy them. In Twilight, USSR has lost this capability over the Atlantic by late 1996. If not for the major strategic mistake of NATO in June 1997, NATO's fleet to the Atlantic would have survived.
Then, survivability of an older carrier performing escort missions and focussing on anti-sub warfare is quite good while it can only be opposed by submarines. Moreover, the main target is no longer the carrier but the ships it escorts.
Amusing enough, I just checked the Wiki on anti-submarine aircraft carriers and here is what it states:
"Essex class during their careers ships fitted and assigned the CVS designation were ASW carriers with Fixed wing and helicopter anti-submarine aircraft and AEW aircraft, although for a short time some also carried an A-4 Skyhawk squadron for daytime combat air patrol(retired/scrapped) Fixed Wing CATOBAR and Helicopters".
I sware I didn't know and simply used logic. It appears that I came up with what seems to be almost the exact USN complement on that matter.
By 1980, this role was assigned to Tarrawa and then Wasp but, with these ships already busy, wouldn't the US Navy be simply smart and use what was available as it had always done in its past? I agree that putting the other surviving Essex might be tricky but Lexington was still ready to go to Sea by 1991 (as was Dedalo by 1989). Even if not assigned to combat duties, they are re-armed to some extend and assigned to aircraft transport. Then, however, it stands a good chance to be sunk.
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