Sea Control Ship The Sea Control Ship ( SCS ) was a small aircraft carrier developed and conceptualized by the United States Navy under Chief of Naval Operations Elmo Zumwalt during the 1970s . Currently the term refers to naval vessels that can perform similar duties . The SCS was intended as an escort vessel , providing air support for convoys . It was canceled after budgetary cuts to the US Navy . The SCS was to be equipped with a mix of Rockwell XFV - 12 fighter aircraft and anti - submarine warfare helicopter s . It was tasked with carrying out anti - submarine warfare operations . Concept . In the late 1960s , studies by US Navy studies identified a potential requirement for large scale convoy operations in the event of a war with the Soviet Union . In order to compensate for a shortage of escort ships , it was suggested that helicopters operating from small helicopter carriers could fill the gap . When Elmo Zumwalt became Chief of Naval Operations in 1970 , he seized on the idea of small helicopter carriers as part of his " High - Low " plan in which large numbers of cheaper lower capability ships would be built to supplement existing expensive high capability ships . The proposed small carrier , which was named the Sea Control Ship ( SCS ) , was required to provide continuous airborne cover of two anti - submarine and one airborne early warning helicopters , as well as carrying VSTOL fighters to stop Soviet long - range aircraft ( like the Tupolev Tu - 95 " Bear " ) from shadowing convoys and directing submarines and surface ships against them . This resulted in a requirement to carry 14 helicopters and three VSTOL fighters such as the AV - 8 Harrier . It was hoped that production SCSs could be built for $ 100 million each , an eighth of the price of a full sized CVN . The resultant design had a full load displacement of and an overall length of . It was to be powered by two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines generating and driving a single shaft , which would propel the ship to a speed of . Weaponry was to be limited , consisting of two Phalanx Close - in weapon system s to defend against anti - ship missile s . Experimental Sea Control Ship . In 1971 the was chosen as a test vessel . Testing began on January 18 , 1972 . In 1974 she was deployed to the Atlantic Ocean as part of the US Marine Corps . The vessel was equipped with AV - 8A Harrier STOVL fighters and Sea King ASW helicopters . The tests were completed in July 1974 ; the " USS Guam " resumed its role as an amphibious assault ship . Similar and related ships . The SCSs were smaller than most fleet aircraft carriers , and the concept was seized upon by nations wanting cheap aircraft carriers . Spain ' s flagship , " Principe de Asturias " ( R11 ) , and her smaller cousin ship , Thailand ' s HTMS " Chakri Naruebet " , were based on the final US Navy blueprints for a dedicated sea control ship , but with the addition of a ski - jump ramp and follow a similar mission profile . As currently configured , the Italian aircraft carrier " Giuseppe Garibaldi " ( 551 ) would also fit under the SCS description . A STOVL flight deck equipped with Harriers for air cover was seriously considered in the 1970s for the SCS but in the end rejected by the US Navy and Congress . The British began life separately from the Elmo Zumwalt SCS design and has its origins in a sketch design for a 6 , 000 long ton , guided - missile armed , helicopter - carrying escort cruiser intended as a complement to the much larger ( 60 , 000 ton ) CVA - 01 design fleet aircraft carrier . The cancellation of CVA - 01 in 1966 meant that the smaller cruiser would now have to provide the anti - submarine warfare ( ASW ) taskforce with command and control facilities . A 17 , 500 ton vessel was chosen with a " through - deck " , nine Sea King helicopters and the missiles right forward . By 1970 , the " through - deck " design had advanced into a Naval Staff Requirement for an 18 , 750 ton Through - Deck Command Cruisers ( TDCC ) . In May 1975 , the British Government authorised the maritime version of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier , which was successfully developed into the Sea Harrier . This meant that the design was reworked again to include a small complement of these VTOL aircraft . In order to launch a heavily - laden Harrier more efficiently by STOVL ( short take - off vertical landing ) from the comparatively short - - flight deck , a ' ski - jump ' was developed . The Soviet s had a similar mission , but were much bigger as they were effectively an SCS and a heavy missile cruiser combined into one hull . The " Kiev " class was equipped with twelve short ranged defensive Yakovlev Yak - 38 STOL fighters and sixteen Kamov Ka - 25 or Kamov Ka - 27 ASW helicopters which operated from an angled flight deck . The forward deck was filled with eight large P - 500 Bazalt surface - to - surface missiles for land and sea strike missions as well as torpedo launchers and strong layered missile and gun anti - aircraft defenses . Ships with secondary SCS mission . Ships that can be used for secondary SCS missions include many modern amphibious carriers , such as the U . S . and classes . All of these ships typically operate STOVL / VTOL fighter / attack aircraft and some have also operated as light carriers in both of the Persian Gulf operations after unloading and deploying the Marine ground forces equipment ( e . g . tank s , armored vehicles , landing craft ) , troop , and cargo helicopters of their primary amphibious assault mission . The Spanish ship " Juan Carlos I " will also split its duties between amphibious assault and SCS / aircraft carrier work . Falklands War . The only example of a conflict where a SCS - type ship played a large part was the Falklands War in 1982 . Unable to acquire new full - size carriers due to political opposition , Britain had procured " through - deck cruisers " for her NATO contribution to keep sea lanes clear of Soviet submarines and patrol aircraft . In this mission they typically carried four to five BAE Sea Harrier s and nine Sea Kings for anti - submarine warfare . When Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands , and ( a conversion of a light fleet carrier to ASW carrier ) were filled to capacity with RAF Harrier and RN Sea Harrier fighter aircraft to recover the islands . The Sea Harriers shot down 21 Argentine aircraft in air - to - air combat with no air - to - air losses , although two Sea Harriers were lost to ground fire and four to accidents . Both types of Harriers were also used for strike missions and support of the ground troops .