Dear Members,

In the 1980s I always wondered why the USN did not have cruisers like the VITTORIO VENITO with the cruisers doing the air defense and helicopter ASW role for the larger conventional carriers. I discovered years later that while it looks like a great arrangement that is used by those two Italian cruisers, most of what I read stated it does not work to well on large warships (with a large deck on the stern and hanger space). One, the back part of the warship is where it is pitching up and down a lot and two it seems that the forward part creates winds and other type of air forces that cause landings to be a problem. The main reason that the Spruance class and Ticos have that landing deck located more near the middle of the ship.

The Russians took this type of design for a non amphibious helicopter carrier with the MOSKVA and they built only two, realizing the problem of the design and switching to the KIEV class. According to some Jane’s publications it was a bear to operate its helicopters unless the warship was going at a very slow speed due to the wind conditions its’ high super structure created across the flight deck in the rear.

Jack E. Hammond

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Not to mention that the heavy weapons load out forward and the hangar in the rear made her trim by the bow.
http://www.defencetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4392