Even without aircraft, the carriers are NUCLEAR AND REQUIRE NO FUEL. I can only imagine how many vehicles or cargo containers you can store on the hanger deck. All you have to do is load AFVs onto the flight deck with a crane (easily loaded at any port and chained to the deck) and use the elevators to get them below. Both the hanger AND the flight deck come with heavy duty tie-downs suitable for light AFVs. The CVNs could be the answer to a heavy lift operation designed to get equipment home to the US.
This also brings me to a point where I often question the idea of bringing "museum ships" back into service. Many of those ships are in need of MAJOR repairs to their power and engineering systems to bring them up to seaworthiness. You would still need to provide them with a large quantity of Fuel Oil to move them ANYWHERE. The easier solution would be to expend those resources RETROFITTING modern ships with lighter weaponry. The types of fishing vessels you see off of the US East Coast could be used. You really don't need the most sophisticated power systems or electronics to fit a manually-run 40mm Bofors or a WW II-Era 20mm Cannon to fend off pirates who might be equipped with a .50 Caliber Machinegun. Those ships are already seaworthy AND require much less fuel than a retired Destroyer. Some examples of weapon systems that could be fitted include:
-20mm Cannon taken from museum ships.
-40mm Bofors taken from museum ships.
-57mm AA/DP powered BUT CREWED Guns taken from older museum ships
-76mm/3" AA/DP guns taken from either museum ships or mothballed Amphibious Assault Ships (which were equipped with powered BUT CREWED 76mm AA/DP mounts up to the Raleigh Class).
- Single (1,000kg) or Triple Torpedo Tube Launchers (3,000kg). These would require the "plumbing" of a high-pressure air line in addition to electric power but ANY HVAC worker can plumb that.
-Depth Charge & Mine Racks either new manufacture OR WW II vintage.
- MK38 25mm Cannon Mounts (requires ship power) like the ones waist-mounted on the OHP Frigates and the Amphibious Assault Ships.
-SEARAM (RAM MISSILE) CIWS LAUNCHERS (requires ship's power).
-SEAWIZ (20mm) CIWS (requires ship's power).
- Customized mounts for ground artillery like the M119 105mm or M114 155mm Howitzers. Even tank guns could be fitted.
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