OT: Australian Navy

[Webstral]

I’m not a Navy guy, but my limited understanding of the field is that frigates are the real workhorses of most modern navies. Modern frigates are large and capable when compared to WW2 era ships of the same classification—so much so that some frigates essentially are destroyers in all but name. Again, though, I’m no Navy guy.

It would have been interesting to see a maritime war in which US fleet carriers played no role, but European (and USMC) carriers with STOVL aircraft (Harriers) and helicopters played a major role. In addition to the Falklands, I mean. Though well-grounded in the ASW role, light carriers and helicopter carriers offer some intriguing possibilities for power projection if the enemy isn’t Russia, China, India, or one or two of the other top-tier potential OPFORs for the principal operators of light/helicopter carriers. In the absence of a high-quality air defense network, armed helicopters can add a lot to maritime/littoral operations.