[Colonol Dekker]

Why, If the spacey forces had ARMD's, did they keep sea based carriers ? I mean... its a waste of resources......

[deruberhanyok]

It occurs to me that there could be any number of reasons for it. I'm not sure about Robotech, but in Macross there are scenes of the UN Spacy fleet which consists of both ARMD platforms and several Daedalus and Prometheus class vessels alongside the SDF-1 before it left Earthspace.

It's possible that those ships, at least, could operate both in outer-space as support ships to the ARMD platforms and at sea. It's also possible that they're holdovers from the pre-robotech era. And maybe the ARMD space platforms can't operate in an atmosphere. In which case, you'd need something that you could have to defend the surface if the space defense line is breached - Grand Cannon or no.

[Shrike]

Holdover is probably the best bet.  Don't forget that the Zentreadi invasion takes place a short decade after the arrival of the SDF-1.  That's not really much time to organize a space fleet so you'd still be relying on naval forces.

[Kamikaze]

Yeah I think they're holdovers - makes sense. And additional thing I want to point out is that the Daedelus and Prometheus were attached to the Macross only because the fold screwed up taking a chunk of earth with it... (which included the daedelus/prometheus)

[Unknown Target]

Actually, I think the real reason they kept them are holdovers, and the fact that ARMDS couldn't enter atmospheric space (to my knowledge). So they needed a fast way to get planes everywhere on the Earth.

[Shrike]

Actually, the SDF-1 was designed to have ARMDs link up instead of the carriers.  Interesting bit of trivia for you.

[Unknown Target]

In Macross: Do You Remember Love?, it actaully has the ARMDS linked up to it.

[Star Dragon]

Prometheus and Deadelus were naval aircraft carriers (like todays Enterprise). Imagine the horror and tragedy of suddenly transporting it to outer space? The crews died immediately but I suppose there might have been some survivors behind airtight doors, butnot many,.\ All the systems/weapons still worked but were airless hulks...

After a rescue and refit crew went abord them, the carriers were jury rigged at first to be space worthy and then later on were fully intergrated to the SDF-1 and were made fully space worthy...(took a few months)

As for fast response... In orbit it only takes 90 mins or less to reach any spot over the earth... then let the Veritechs enter atmosphere and boom forces are there! Simple Space/Air superiority.

But the Earth govt was a new entity, global war was still a fresh wound and naval forces (and other military units) had to be kept functional and on the payroll (look at our Russia)... Or else rogue units might need to make money.

In any age you will have some sort of naval unit for planets possessing water. It is part of combined arms...

[EdrickV]

The Daedelus, at least according to some of the RPG books I once looked at, was capable of functioning underwater as a submarine. That might explain it's odd design compared to the Prometheus. It also could be used as a transport for the destroid type mecha that can't fly. (Remember, the front of it opens up.) And, if one is preparing for an invasion, you don't neglect the ground/sea/air forces. (Not to mention the potential uses against insurgent forces that just might go against the RDF.) As to why they were attached to the SDF-1, they weren't damaged as much as the ARMDs they intended to dock with and didn't use up their store of weapons 'cause they didn't see much if any real battle.

[Unknown Target]

Then, if it's watertight, it's airtight, so how did the ppl inside die?

[Star Dragon]

Think about this... in an instant the ships went from the water's surface to outer space... All the open doors meant death for the crews in those areas... If they were not rigged for diving there are certain hatches open for crew access even on subs, I believe. It's a subject that even in anime I'd rather not dwell on... naval personell could elaborate more on the effects in regards to their own vessels if they were in that situation...

[Colonol Dekker]

Hell, the day the sdf1 took off was sunny and warm, i'd open a few doors if i was bottled up in an oven like carrier. BTW airtight rooms on ships would still have externalventilation directly, or indirectly IE an inlet leading to a filtration system, so the whole crew apart from tose in SCBA SCUBA or a mech should be dea as doorknobs/nails...

[Fry_Day]

Then, if it's watertight, it's airtight, so how did the ppl inside die?

First of all, not all doors were closed. secondly, (as mentioned) there is some sort of ventilation system. even then, you'd have to be in somewhere completely airtight to survive (Just wearing scuba gear wouldn't help, sicne the change in air pressure would kill you), and even then, it's short lived, since temperature will drop (That's assuming that the coldness of space didn't damage the sealing of the room you're in) and air will run out.