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Actually NewGolconda, I think you're slightly wrong on this one, although it's really a question of emphasis. You could use a Juan Carlos I class LHD as a carrier if you wanted to. The hanger is adequate to carry quite a few aircraft, there is more than enough accommodation and storage/magazine space, and the C4ISR suite should be more than up to the job. And indeed the Spanish will be using it in just such a role. The question is more what do you get? Realistically I'd be very surprised if a JC I could sustain the full 3-4 sorties per day per JSF for more than half a dozen fixed wing a/c. I've not seen or heard the sortie generation capabilities, but I'm guessing that it'll be in the order of 30-35 fast jet sorties per day in surge conditions*, which really isn't all that much.
Therefore, it Australia was building 4 LHD, then having a squadron of F-35B would (IMHO) make a fair bit of sense, since it would allow the deployment of the 2,000 man EMF in addition to fielding a reasonable if not especially stunning fixed wing aviation capability and enough sea lift to keep everything going (although this doesn't answer the question of where the crew for this scheme is coming from). But the fact is that it'd be a very limited capability overall.

A proper carrier (and I'll happily agree that the JC I falls short of this) would probably be more like the Cavour class: lower freeboard, larger flight deck, and a few other more carrier-like features (greater speed for better wind over deck, a flight deck more optimised for fixed wing a/c operations etc.). The result is a ship that can generate something more like 40-50 fast jet sorties per day in surge conditions, which equates to about a squadron's worth of JSF in addition to support helicopters. Now, the Cavour is a more expensive ship (can't recall figures, and probably can't be bothered), and requires a larger crew (which would exacerbate existing personnel problem). There's also a hidden cost, in that while a roughly Cavour-like CVS can maybe sustain 30-40 fast jet sorties per day, it could only do so while supplies lasted, and that isn't long unless you have the fleet train to go with it. So, add at least another AOR into the mix.
That would be an expensive route for the RAN to follow, but if we want to do an aircraft carrier, that'd be the way to go (i.e. a CVS rather than and LHD).


*To put it in perspective, CVF is designed to generate 420 fast jet sorties over a 5 day period with 108 sorties in 24 hours in surge conditions from 36 F-35B.

According to Ares the principal radar will be a Sea Giraffe: