U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers: Carrier Battle Groups, Airplanes, Flight Operations, History and Evolution from Escort Carriers to Nuclear-powered Supercarriers

Explore America's fleet of aircraft carriers with this unique report featuring details about these awesome machines and their storied history. This massive 500-page compilation also includes the latest Navy Program Guide document, providing an overview of key systems, programs, and initiatives of the Navy.

Contents include: Carrier battle group information, the carrier air wing (FA-18 squadrons, S-3 squadron, EA-6B squadron, E-2C squadron, helicopter squadron), flight operations, complete list of all aircraft carriers from the USS Langley to the newly named USS John F. Kennedy, news about the Electromagnetic Launch and Recovery Equipment (EMALS), the rich history of carriers - escort carriers, World War II years, post-War 1945-49, Korea in the 1950s, space support and the Vietnam war, and more.

Included in this reproduction is the complete text of the Naval Historical Center document, Evolution of Aircraft Carriers. Contents of this impressive history report: The Aeroplane Goes To Sea, Decisions Out Of Jutland, Langley, Lex And Sara, Carriers From The Keel, Flattops In The War Games, Last Of The Fleet Problems, The Japanese Developments, The Early Attack Carriers, Emergence Of The Escort Carriers, CVB's: The Battle Carriers, The End Of The 'Bokubokan' In WW II, The Wartime European Carriers, The Turbulent Post-War Years, CVA's Built To Meet Modern Needs. This collection, based on information gathered from many official sources, provides an interesting account of how and why the carrier developed as it did. It is the story behind the perhaps better known tale of carrier operations. It is the story of change--change dictated by operational necessity and by technological progress. It is also the story of how naval constructors took full advantage of technological progress, and the lessons learned of operational experience to solve the Navy's unique problem of taking aviation to sea. As a result of their efforts and the constant improvement of tactics necessary to weld sea and air power together, the air craft carrier stands today at the forefront of Naval power, ready and able to defend the nation and to project national interests to all parts of the world.