– US Naval War College Review – In an attempt to improve the quality of the coming debates, this article will examine the prospects for future utility of the aircraft carrier, including that of the embarked air wing, from a different angle. Instead of making a holistic judgment on the future utility of aircraft carriers, it will focus on the ways they have been, are, or could be used. Within the bounds of security classification, it will also attempt to sort out the risk factors that attend their use. Others may then proceed to decide whether a continued investment in them is justified.