Complex sentence: The E- 2A only operated from the modified Essex class for a few years before the ships were scrapped; in retrospect, the design would have benefited considerably if this requirement had been lifted from the outset and the restrictions had never been imposed.
Split into simpler sentences: The E- 2A only operated from the modified Essex class for a few years before the ships were scrapped. The design would have benefited considerably if this requirement had been had never been imposed.