Aircraft carriers in and after the Twilight War

[dragoon500ly]

Since A-4s were brought up, here is what the USN/USMC actually had in service as the Twilight War approached.

The Navy had 4 Fleet Composite Squadrons:
VC-1 with TA-4J; VC-5 with A-4E and TA-4J; VC-8 with TA-4J and VC-10 with TA-4J. A fleet composite squadron was assigned the duties of dissimilar air combat maneuvering; noncombat aerial photography; aerial target services; radar calibration and transport. A variety of additional aircraft are operated by the VC squadrons. VC-1 and VC-10 were the only ones assigned combat missions being tasked with air defense of the Hawaiian Islands and Guantanamo Bay respectively. These four squadrons operate some 24 A-4s all told.

2 Fighter Squadrons:
VF-45 and VF-126 are equipped with the TA-4J. Both provide adversary training (Top Gun) at NAS Miramar and NAS Oceana respectively, (12ac each)

6 Training Squadrons:
VT-7, VT-21, VT-22, VT-24, VT-25 and VT-86 provide strike and advanced night flight operations training for Navy, Marine Corps and goreign pilots. They are equipped with TA-4J. These are the aircraft that USS Lexington supports in its training role (there are 16 ac in each sqn).

2 Air Test and Evaluation Squadrons:
VX-4 with TA-4J and VX-5 with A-4M/T and TA-4J. These squadrons test and evaluate aerial weapon systems. VX-4 is stationed at NAS Point Mugu and VX-5 is stationed at NAS China Lake. The VX squadrons operate a variety of aircraft (it is estimated that some 10 A-4s are operated by these 2 sqns)

The 4th Marine Aircraft Wing (Marine reserves) operate all of the remaining USMC A-4 squadrons, these are VMA-124, VMA-131, VMA-133, VMA-134, VMA-142 and VMA-322 (12ac each).

These 226 A-4/TA-4 are all that is left of the total production run of 2,960
A-4s in US service.

[raketenjagdpanzer]

What about Thailand's carrier? Either rusting away or now a key element in regional alliance with Australia, Japan, Korea, etc.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by raketenjagdpanzer

What about Thailand's carrier? Either rusting away or now a key element in regional alliance with Australia, Japan, Korea, etc.

Pressed into Spanish service and operating in the Atlantic or the Mediterranean. I named it Dedalo but its name can be whatever you want. It never reaches the Pacific

[dragoon500ly]

Soviet Maritime Aviation in 1993 had fallen in strength from its Cold War days.

It had in service:

1,136 fixed wing, including:

117 Reconnaissance: 50 Tu-95 Bear D, 55 Tu-16 Badger A/C/D/E/F, and 12 Su-24 Fencer E

94 Electronic Warfare: 77 Tu-16 Badger H/J, 14 Il-20 Coot A, 5 An-12 Cub

295 bombers: 150 Tu-22M Backfire B/C, 145 Tu-16 Badger A/C/G

380 attack fighters: 170 Su-17/20 Fitter A/C/D, 50 MiG-23 Flogger B, 5
MiG-29 FulcrumD, 5 Su-27K Flanker, 50 Su-25 Frogfoot and 100 Su-24 Fencer E

50 Aerial Tankers: 50 Tu-16 Badger A

200 ASW/Maritime Patrol: 65 Tu-95 Bear F, 45 Il-38 May and 90 Be-12 Mail

425 helicopters including:

275 ASW Helos: 75 Ka-25 Hormone A, 100 Ka-27PL Helix A and 100 Mi-14PL Haze A

25 target designation: 25 Ka-25 Hormone B

25 mine countermeasures: 25 Mi-14PL Haze-A

100 miscellaneous including Hook, Hip-C, Helix B/D, Haze B, Hormone C

and finally there are some 480 fixed wing and helicopters (training, transport, experimental, etc.) available.

All of the Tu-22 Blinders have been removed from service and the large numbers of Tu-16 Badger variants are being removed from service due to their age.

[Mohoender]

Dragoon, you are absolutely right but we are talking Twilight and in Twilight it would have been strengthen insteed.

[dragoon500ly]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

Dragoon, you are absolutely right but we are talking Twilight and in Twilight it would have been strengthen insteed.

No arguement here! Its what the Sovs would have kept in service that is the question. I'd expect the Blinder and Badgers to be retired in favor of more Backfires and the then-in-developemnt Blackjack. Certainly there would have been addition Frogfoots, Flankers and Fulcrums to fill out the carrier air groups.

The only real question is what they would have done with the various Bears? As old and wornout as the Badgers are, the Bears are in even worse shape. The new Be-42 Mermaid is one possibility, but the Soviets had nothing that could match the Bears 9,500km operational radius. And that means that they would have had issues with the Deep Atlantic recon/target designator missions that the Bears carried out.