Future Naval Air contribution to "small wars"

[Steve Blair]

But if you have presence you have greater vulnerability. Also CV's have to have alot resources committed to defense just like a land base. Also presence is often one of our main problems...it provokes as much as it it prevents.

I still don't consider that convincing evidence that they are obsolete. And our use of unmanned vehicles (including cruise missiles) to attack targets is just a provoking. I'd argue that in some ways it's more provoking, as it's "easier" to launch unmanned vehicles and standoff ordnance at targets. The easier it is to use, the more likely (it seems) the political leadership is to use said systems, creating more provocation.