Aircraft Carrier

The Aircraft Carrier is a Tier-3 mobile base for an air wing, built at the Deepwater Yard with a Radar Station. Its flight deck holds 10 cargo weight: a Falcon takes 2, so five fit aboard. Helicopters and transport aircraft can use the deck too.

How to use

Select aircraft and right-click your carrier to board, or select the carrier and right-click an aircraft to call it in. The aircraft flies to the ship even while it is underway. Unload launches the wing over open water, one aircraft at a time. Aircraft aboard go down with the ship if it sinks.

Aircraft must land aboard to replenish ammunition from the carrier; flying alongside does not rearm them. An aircraft with every gun empty automatically flies to the nearest available airbase or carrier. At a carrier it lands, occupies deck capacity while rearming, then launches to resume its orders or return to its previous station. A full deck sends incoming aircraft to another available base; with no alternative, they wait for space.

Aircraft you manually board remain aboard as a reserve after rearming, until you order an unload. These aircraft occupy deck capacity too. Rearming follows the aircraft's turnaround time and the faction's power supply; an EMP stops the carrier's service. Airbases still rearm aircraft within four tiles, and strategic warheads still require an airbase.

The forward naval gun engages surface targets while the aft starboard launcher independently tracks aircraft and fires homing missiles.

Sail behind Destroyers, with Frigates covering the wing's turnaround. The carrier's light naval gun and short-range AA missiles defend against light harassment, but it has no sonar or anti-submarine weapon. Enemy missile boats and naval strike aircraft can fire from beyond its defenses.