Quote Originally Posted by Xenophon View Post
Launching strategic bombing and deep air support missions from Naval platforms nearer the target than CONUS entails much less risk due to shorter flight times and could provide more responsiveness.
I don't think it is quite that simple. The ability to land and take off from a carrier impose severe restrictions on what an airplane can do. There has never been a carrier airplane that has even come close to the range/payload capabilities of the B-2, B-1 and B-52. So deliver the same payload on the target you'd need rather more carrier based airplanes.

And you'd need a lot of carriers to haul them, because if i remember correctly, you have to plan for one ship on station, one in port and one in overhaul, or something like that. The ship would be very responsive if it were on station, but it would quite expensive to keep there.

Because of the range/payload restrictions on carrier airplanes, you'd still have to get pretty close to the shoreline to launch good strikes and that might not be so easy against an opponent who had some good cruise missles and airplanes to hang them on. If you stuck with the F/A-18, all things to all people, air group, you'd probably have to sail up the enemy's rivers to do any good.

B-2's are pretty darn useful for some missions.