How about we apply CV aircraft controls to cruiser/BB fighter consumables? The controls and code exists. It's mostly a matter of balancing and preventing new issues.   I would propose the following limitations and adjustments:   Fighter strength is dependent on a variety of things. Tiering The historic amount of aircraft a ship could have (storage capacity) CV captain skills in fighter power could apply to these aircraft too. Note that combined, ships can make a very effective fighter screen Should be very vulnerable to AA, particularly from DD. Should battle approaching enemy aircraft.  Switching control between ship and aircraft is possible as it was during RTS CVs This should also apply to CVs to reduce AI reliance When switching to ship controls, aircraft go into a loiter/patrol mode and act as currently a CV deployed fighter would. Which means you can leave it circling over a different area When launching aircraft, you by default retain control over the ship until you switch to aircraft manually. Fighter patrols will automatically circle your ship as they would today. Fighter patrols should be possible to be assigned to ships like in the RTS days. On the map you could attach fighter patrols to circle a ship, just as the old RTS CV fighter patrols could be assigned to protect ships. Reduced scouting capacity by relating operation time to distance from ship  in order to avoid stealth play being destroyed much further Limited base (flight) time as today "Fuel" taken into account: once fuel (and thus time) for a return trip runs out, the fighter returns to its ship. Hence the further the fighter flies from its ship of origin, the faster the fighter consumeable runs out as it has to return to its ship of origin. Potentially reduce effectiveness of other detection systems (radar) to compensate for increased team ability to scout Consider rebalancing CVs to mitigate for increased aircraft losses if they lose too many to make it workable. Reduce scouting ability of aircraft by say 10% to compensate for increased air presence Keep an eye on: Aircraft reserve attrition speed Leverage effect of sides with fighter power and those with less/who lost it     Consider what this would mean for anti-submarine and warfare and tracking the last stealth DD though. The increased scouting prowess should come with some mitigation towards DDs in particular. Of course being able to launch fighters to defend DDs from air harassment would also be possible in this new situation. It also provides a way to counter Tone and Ise attacks.   For those who don't want to control their fighters, things remain as they are, for those people who do opt to control their fighters, they get a bit of spotting capacity and improved / teamwork defense against CV attacks at the cost of their consumables duration.   EDIT: rewo... overhauled title on popular demand.