The Khmer Admiralty sat back and watched the Admiral of the Fleet put the Viper through its paces with the Fleet. Attack, defense, scouting, air superiority, everything that could be thought of. What these evolutions showed was that Khmer did not need the huge long range type of carrier that the US, Japan, Commonwealth and others had built or were building. The Empire did not want to spend that much money on any type of ship. Aircraft carriers required ongoing large costs keeping up with the evolution of aircraft. An aircraft carrier with 100 aircraft was completely beyond Khmer finances. A ship with 50-60 aircraft would be quite sufficient. The other element that the other overseas carriers needed to have was high speed. 30-34 knots required a large powerplant to push the hull carrying 80+ aircraft. Khmer required a hull making 27-28 knots which would keep up with the Wong Class which were the core of the inter-war fleet. The designers had their parameters, lets see what they came up with.
These two ships were tubs. The length to breadth ratios would never let the two ships be greyhounds. But that tub gave plenty of room for a machinery plant to push the ships along at 28 knots. The armament of twin 4" AA and single 25mm was all that was required in the 1930's. The aircraft aboard were the same as onboard the French ships of the time. Because of the general state of Khmer finances, the aircraft procured had to do for both the Air Force and the Navy.
WW2 may have started in 1939 but Khmer remained neutral till late 1941. Khmer had fought a limited war to the north against China from 1937-40. The last pre-war upgrades arrived in late 1941 and added radar and a much needed heavy AA battery of 40mm guns with predictors. Search radar was added at the topmasts and targeting radar was added to the dual purpose directors on the bridge. The air complement at this stage was 3 squadrons of L298 bombers, 2 squadrons of D520 fighters for escorting the bombers, then 10 D520 for CAP duties and 4 spare aircraft.
Khmer had taken notice of the use made of aircraft carriers in the early part of the war. The destruction of the Argentinian Fleet, the sparring with the Germanic States, then the FW190 strike that almost turned the tables on the Commonwealth Northern Fleet around the Denmark Strait. Central Atlantic Fleet, composed of the Axis ships in the Mediterranean, trying to get out through the Pillars of Hercules and out into the Atlantic, to support the Germanic States fleet, but being set upon by the combined Commonwealth forces, who slammed the door shut, and chased the Axis forces back into the Med inflicting heavy losses. Most of the heavy work was done by the carriers, with the battleships cleaning up the cripples.
The Khmer Admiralty formed its plans for the Asian War that was coming.
