Sea Control Ship

A Sea Control Ship (SCS) is a type of small aircraft carrier designed and conceptualized by the United States Navy under Chief of Naval Operations Elmo Zumwalt in the 1970s. [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/scs.htm Sea Control Ship ] ] The SCS was designed due to severe cuts in Navy spending, requiring a cheap, flexible platform that could provide convoy escorts and deliver limited air power to the field without tying up an enormous aircraft carrier during times of conflict. Sea Control Ships were initialy intended to carry a mix of Rockwell XVF-12 [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/xfv-12.htm] fighters and ASW helicopters.

In the summer of 1971 USS "Guam" (LPH-9), an "Iwo Jima"-class amphibious assault ship, was chosen as a test vessel for Admiral Zumwalt's Sea Control Ship concept. On 18 January 1972 she began extensive testing and in 1974 deployed in the Atlantic as a sea control ship with Marine Corps AV-8A Harrier STOVL fighters and Sea King ASW helicopters. "Guam" completed the SCS tests and reassumed her role as an Amphibious Assault Ship on 1 July 1974. [ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/scs.htm]

The SCSs were smaller than most large aircraft carriers, and the concept was seized upon by nations wanting cheap aircraft carriers. Spain's flagship, "Principe de Asturias" (R11), and her smaller cousin ship, Thailand's HTMS "Chakri Naruebet", were based on the US Navy plans for a sea control ship, with the addition of a ski-jump ramp and follow a similar mission profile. As currently configured, the Italian aircraft carrier "Giuseppe Garibaldi" (551) would also fit under the SCS description. A STOVL flight deck equipped Spruance class destroyer with Harriers for air cover was seriously considered in the 1970's for the SCS but in the end rejected by the US Navy and Congress.

Ships having secondary SCS missions include British HMS "Ocean" and the "Invincible" class, and the U.S. "Tarawa" and "Wasp" classes, members of which operated in the Persian Gulf carrying a mixture of helicopters (and in case of the "Invincible", "Wasp", and "Tarawa" classes, also STOVL/VTOL attack aircraft), they also usualy carry their primary amphibious assault mission Marine equipment (e.g. tanks, armored vehicles, landing craft), troop, and cargo helicopters.

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