The US Naval Institute (USNI) has an interesting piece of history that may become relevant yet again in today's current events. The article describes how President Reagan was going to lend the USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) to act an Assault Carrier, Admiral Zumwalt's sea control ship concept, for the Royal Navy if they had lost one of their carriers to the Argentinians during the Falklands War. This would be the lend/leasing of equipment that at that point had not been seen in 35 years. It begs to question on how close we are still with our British Allies under the current political environment, and if we would still do the same, especially now with the RN limited to one Helicopter carrier, and the Illustrious being retrofitted to act as an additional helicopter carrier until the Queen Elizabeth II is commissioned.
USNI Article
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