Editing USS Northampton (CLC-1) (section)

===Pilotfish===
When the first supercarrier [[USS United States (CVA-58)|USS ''United States'' (CVA-58)]] was being designed, it was thought she would not be able to have an island or masts for radar or other antennas. Therefore the ''Northampton'' was seen as a 'pilotfish', a ship that would escort the carrier and act not only as a [[radar picket]] (although from the center of the [[task force]] rather than the periphery as a true picket would), but also as the radar director of aircraft approach and landing on the carrier. The recent invention of the [[angled flight deck]] made it possible to install islands and radar on supercarriers, and so this role was eliminated from the ''Northampton''.<ref>Freidman, pp. 430</ref>