Back in the early 1980s, some British companies came up with SCADS - Shipborne Containerized Air Defense System. Basically it was a kit of 100 cargo containers pre-fitted for different mission support task, with a runway laid over the containers. They claimed a ship could be converted in 48 hours.
You can find an image of the proposal
here.
The USN had a similar program called ARAPAHO that they tested in 1982 on the MV
Export Leader. The deck was stressed to hold a CH-47. The RN leased the equipment in and installed in on the MV
Astronomer for service in the Falklands.
RESOURCES
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ARAPAHO at GlobalSecurity.org
*
Merchant Carriers and Sky Hooks,
Flight Global 15 January 1983
*
Arapaho Lives On,
Flight Global, 11 June 1983