ABSTRACT
We have seen how this concern drove the Chiefs to press for less restrictive rules of engagement, even as the diplomats and lawyers insisted that no move should be taken that could not be fully justified internationally. By the end of April, after a lot of pressure, the major concession to the military view was that the carrier could be attacked in a designated area. We have noted that this pressure coincided with apparently greater clarity over the limited capabilities of the carrier, and in particular its inability to carry the Super Etendards and the restrictions on its ability to launch Skyhawk A4s.
