Wars and Wayzring
185
was nally sunk. Without the aircraft from Ark Royal, this successful
conclusion might never have been achieved and since then the {advent
of the submarine, aircraft and the guided missile have combined to
make obsolete the ‘line of battle’—a formation dating from the times
of Henry VIII.
,
.
With the demise of the-battleship, aircraft carriers became the
‘capital ships’ of the eet. In 1961 the oating air bases re‘a‘Ched‘a
new peak when Enterprise, the US. Navy?s nuclear—powered aircraft
_
carrier, went into service. A modern giant, Enterprise carries 100
aircraft and a crew of 4,500. In contrast, the Royal Navyis nishing
with large aircraft carriefs such as Ark Royal and Eagle in the 19705.
The British decision to ‘run down’ its carrier force has been
precipitated largely by a contraction of territorial responsibilities
but it also indicates the country’s changing needs in an agewhen
submarines, ship—borne guided missiles and ‘restricted warfare’
'
present the major threats to peace. For such contingencies, the
Royal Navy favours high—speed patrol craft, mobile assault forces,
frigates armed with guided missiles and helicopter carriers (beli—
coptérS have a variety of roles from supporting amphibiouS opera—
tions to anti—submarine warfare). The Soviet Navy, which has never
had a large carrier eet, has a similar but much larger force with
helicopter carriers such as Moscow and Leningrad, fast inshore
craft—sème armed with Styx missiles of thetype which sank the
Israeli destroyer Eilat, assaultæraftand missile—launchingShips, of
the Kresta class.
…
,
…
,
'
Apart from the more familiar.trappings of militarymight,people
'
have become awareof a different type of
'
ships’ used in the continuous battle formilitary
of big guns or missiles, they are festooned withfaabewijlderingarrjay
are loaded
of the international 'freedômæo‘f the highrseas, they
/
strategic areas deteC'tini‘g
;of shipping‘;sùbrrràritres
and aircraft aand monitoring military
Few NATO
manage to avoid an univited
ΑtrawÇlers’
carrying ;elecr‘Qnic rather than shing gear.-Occasionally some0he’s
nerve aapparently snaps and an ‘electronic
ship
leaps into…the headlines:0n January…23,;ïÿ68,the North Koreans
arres‘ted the United
ship Paèbla,: which Êi}:they claimed had
into
territorial
to æspy; Fortun'ately, such
internationalincidents are îuncomm0n and ;most countries protect
185
was nally sunk. Without the aircraft from Ark Royal, this successful
conclusion might never have been achieved and since then the {advent
of the submarine, aircraft and the guided missile have combined to
make obsolete the ‘line of battle’—a formation dating from the times
of Henry VIII.
,
.
With the demise of the-battleship, aircraft carriers became the
‘capital ships’ of the eet. In 1961 the oating air bases re‘a‘Ched‘a
new peak when Enterprise, the US. Navy?s nuclear—powered aircraft
_
carrier, went into service. A modern giant, Enterprise carries 100
aircraft and a crew of 4,500. In contrast, the Royal Navyis nishing
with large aircraft carriefs such as Ark Royal and Eagle in the 19705.
The British decision to ‘run down’ its carrier force has been
precipitated largely by a contraction of territorial responsibilities
but it also indicates the country’s changing needs in an agewhen
submarines, ship—borne guided missiles and ‘restricted warfare’
'
present the major threats to peace. For such contingencies, the
Royal Navy favours high—speed patrol craft, mobile assault forces,
frigates armed with guided missiles and helicopter carriers (beli—
coptérS have a variety of roles from supporting amphibiouS opera—
tions to anti—submarine warfare). The Soviet Navy, which has never
had a large carrier eet, has a similar but much larger force with
helicopter carriers such as Moscow and Leningrad, fast inshore
craft—sème armed with Styx missiles of thetype which sank the
Israeli destroyer Eilat, assaultæraftand missile—launchingShips, of
the Kresta class.
…
,
…
,
'
Apart from the more familiar.trappings of militarymight,people
'
have become awareof a different type of
'
ships’ used in the continuous battle formilitary
of big guns or missiles, they are festooned withfaabewijlderingarrjay
are loaded
of the international 'freedômæo‘f the highrseas, they
/
strategic areas deteC'tini‘g
;of shipping‘;sùbrrràritres
and aircraft aand monitoring military
Few NATO
manage to avoid an univited
ΑtrawÇlers’
carrying ;elecr‘Qnic rather than shing gear.-Occasionally some0he’s
nerve aapparently snaps and an ‘electronic
ship
leaps into…the headlines:0n January…23,;ïÿ68,the North Koreans
arres‘ted the United
ship Paèbla,: which Êi}:they claimed had
into
territorial
to æspy; Fortun'ately, such
internationalincidents are îuncomm0n and ;most countries protect