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LowObservable said:F-35B? With six jets per LHA/LHD, it's not much of a backup - particularly since you have lost your EA and AEW, and that doesn't change even if you push all the helos overboard and add more JSFs.
It is not a given that one hit will put a CVN out of action. It is a risk, and one that the Navy/MDA take seriously.
Six is the standard. And six is still six more than none. And it doesn't mean you couldn't bump that up in short order (IIRC the new America class is specifically meant to operate in a secondary sea control role with up to 20 F-35s embarked.) What's the history with Harrier deployments on Tarawas and Wasps? Have they ever bumped above six on occasion?