Following the cancellation of USS United States in 1946, measures were put into place to ensure that sufficient aircraft carriers were available to the US Navy, and these included the modernisation of the Essex class as part of the SCB-27 programme conducted between 1947 and 1955 and intended to allow the carriers to operate jet aircraft. The incomplete USS Oriskany was taken in hand to become the first of the SCB 27A programme. USS Oriskany was completed to an improved design between August 1947 and September 1950 without flight deck gun mounts and her flight deck was considerably stronger.
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