Editing Escort carrier (section)

==Post-World War II==
The years following World War II brought many revolutionary new technologies to naval aviation, most notably the [[helicopter]] and the [[Fighter aircraft#1940s–1950s: First-generation|jet fighter]], and with this a complete rethinking of its strategies and ships' tasks. Although several of the latest ''Commencement Bay''-class CVE were deployed as floating airfields during the [[Korean War]], the main reasons for the development of the escort carrier had disappeared or could be dealt with better by newer weapons. The emergence of the helicopter meant that helicopter-deck equipped [[frigate]]s could now take over the CVE's role in a convoy while also performing their usual role as submarine hunters. Ship-mounted [[guided missile]] launchers took over much of the aircraft protection role, and [[in-flight refueling]] eliminated the need for floating stopover points for transport or patrol aircraft. Consequently, after the ''Commencement Bay'' class, no new escort carriers were designed, and with every downsizing of the navy, the CVEs were the first to be mothballed.

Several escort carriers were pressed back into service during the first years of the [[Vietnam War]] because of their ability to carry large numbers of aircraft. Redesignated AKV (air transport auxiliary), they were manned by a civilian crew and used to ferry whole aircraft and spare parts from the U.S. to Army, Air Force and Marine bases in [[South Vietnam]]. However, CVEs were useful in this role only for a limited period. Once all major aircraft were equipped with refueling probes, it became much easier to fly the aircraft directly to its base instead of shipping it.

The last chapter in the history of escort carriers consisted of two conversions: as an experiment, {{USS|Thetis Bay|CVE-90|6}} was converted from an aircraft carrier into a pure [[helicopter carrier]] (CVHA-1) and used by the Marine Corps to carry assault helicopters for the first wave of [[amphibious warfare]] operations. Later, ''Thetis Bay'' became a full amphibious assault ship (LHP-6). Although in service only from 1955 (the year of her conversion) to 1964, the experience gained in her training exercises greatly influenced the design of today's [[amphibious assault ship]]s.

In the second conversion, in 1961, {{USS|Gilbert Islands|CVE-107|6}} had all her aircraft handling equipment removed and four tall radio antennas installed on her long, flat deck. In lieu of aircraft, the hangar deck now had 24 military radio transmitter trucks bolted to its floor. Rechristened {{USS|Annapolis|AGMR-1|6}}, the ship was used as a communication relay ship and served dutifully through the Vietnam War as a floating radio station, relaying transmissions between the forces on the ground and the command centers back home. Like ''Thetis Bay'', the experience gained before ''Annapolis'' was stricken in 1976 helped develop today's purpose-built [[amphibious command ship]]s of the {{sclass|Blue Ridge|command ship|4}}.

Unlike almost all other major classes of ships and patrol boats from World War II, most of which can be found in a museum or port, no escort carrier or American [[Light aircraft carrier|light carrier]] has survived; all were destroyed during the war or broken up in the following decades. The [[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]] records that the last former escort carrier remaining in naval service—USS ''Annapolis''—was sold for scrapping 19 December 1979. The last American light carrier (the escort carrier's faster sister type) was {{USS|Cabot|CVL-28|6}}, which was broken up in 2002 after a decade-long attempt to preserve the vessel.

Later in the [[Cold War]] the U.S.-designed [[Sea Control Ship]] was intended to serve a similar role;{{sfn|Canaday|1990|pages=13–20}} while none were actually built, the {{ship|Spanish aircraft carrier|Principe de Asturias}} and the Thai {{HTMS|Chakri Naruebet}} are based on the concept.