I’ve got a game going where we had a rules question on landing fighters on an aircraft carrier that was purchased and will be deployed during the mobilization phase.
It is UK’s turn, and they purchased an aircraft carrier this turn. A fighter leaves from UK, attacks Western Europe, and survives the combat. The fighter can land back in UK, but can I also have it land on the carrier that will be deployed in the mobilization phase in SZ7?
We decided that this was allowable, but the rules seemed non-definitive on this. One rule says that a fighter must land during the non-combat movement phase (which is before deployment). Under Non-combat movement, it says that “You must have a carrier … be placed to pick up a fighter that would end it’s non-combat move in a sea zone”. So if during non-combat movement, I declare the fighter will return to SZ7 (where the carrier will be), it can land on it.