the aircraft carrier club 69
purchase naval units when they can afford them, not solely when they
need them. While statistical analysis can support the general framing of
naval power as a manifestation of wealth, it can tell us very little about
other dimensions of the conspicuous consumption argument. In order to
do so, we need to look at specific consumption decisions in more detail.
The Aircraft Carrier Club
The aircraft carrier is one of the most expensive and sophisticated weap-
ons systems employed by contemporary military forces. Even when we
exclude the design stage, the construction of shipyard equipment, and the
acquisition of technological know- how, and even with no trial and error,
building a carrier takes close to a decade. This does not yet address the
procurement of aircraft and the training of seaman and aircrews. The ac-
quisition of a carrier is just the beginning, because in order to be fully op-
erational, the carrier requires an impressive carrier battle group that often
includes cruisers, frigates, antiaircraft warships, antisubmarine destroyers,
submarines, helicopter carriers, and supply ships. A single American car-
rier group is larger than many of the world’s navies. The battle group is
crucial in order to protect the carrier in times of battle. In the absence of a
battle group the carrier is exposed and vulnerable. Moreover, maintaining
an operational carrier and a well- trained crew requires constant work. It is
generally estimated that a carrier spends close to two thirds of its life un-
dergoing training and maintenance. Hence, even after all this investment,
the carrier may be ready for deployment for only a few months every year
and may be unavailable at a time of need. In order to ensure that the navy
has access to at least one carrier at any given time, a country needs to pro-
cure at least three carriers.
A country that decides to develop naval aviation capabilities, there-
fore, is undertaking an immense endeavor that is likely to materialize only
decades down the road. Besides the financial, technological, and organi-
zational prerequisites for such a project, there is a need for solid political
commitment that can carry this procurement to its completion. If a coun-
try decides to go down this treacherous path, it must also decide what
kind of carrier to build. Currently, it is customary to differentiate between
three types of carriers.
The largest, most expensive, and most capable carrier type is the
CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take- Off But Arrested Recovery). The
catapults and the landing barriers allow aircraft to operate in a way that
