As the pillars of U.S. naval might, aircraft carriers have long projected American power across the globe.
SAN DIEGO (July 29, 2009) The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 transits into San Diego prior to mooring at Naval Air Station North Island. Nimitz is preparing for a 2009 regularly scheduled Western Pacific Deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class John Philip Wagner Jr./Released)
These floating fortresses, with their contingent of advanced fighter jets and associated support vessels, serve as moving bastions of air superiority.
ARABIAN SEA (April 13, 2007) – An SH-60F Seahawk, from the “Eightballers” of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 8, hovers in the air as Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) transits through the Arabian Sea just prior to flight operations. John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group is on deployment in support of Maritime Security Operations (MSO). U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ron Reeves (RELEASED)
Yet, as we navigate further into 2024, the once-unquestionable dominance of these leviathans is increasingly under scrutiny.
Advancements in anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) systems, have signaled a potential shift in maritime power dynamics that the U.S. Navy cannot ignore.
Not long ago, the mere suggestion that a U.S. aircraft carrier could be sunk in combat was dismissed by many as impossible.
These “Vulnerable Giants,” as they are now being referred to, constitute the backbone of American naval strategy.
With the advent of new warfare technologies, however, the possibility of losing one of these carriers is becoming a haunting prospect.
Most of America’s aircraft carrier fleet are comprised of the Nimitz-class, with the new Ford-class as their replacement (although it remains uncertain if the Navy can afford to completely replace the Nimitz-class with the Ford-class carriers).
It is a well-acknowledged fact that “the only way the U.S. Navy divorces itself from the aircraft carrier cult is if it loses one in combat,” a sentiment expressed by a retired U.S. Navy captain.
With A2/AD systems custom-built to counteract U.S. power projection, the carriers’ days as the unchallenged sovereigns of the sea might be numbered.
The challenges to carrier survivability are numerous and varied. While the carriers’ design and defense systems that make them “nearly unsinkable,” subsequent paint a different picture.
Russia’s Tsirkon hypersonic missile adds another layer of threat with its ability to evade radar detection and deliver devastating kinetic impacts.
The use of unmanned drones in maritime warfare further highlights the carriers’ vulnerabilities, showcasing how low-cost strategies can effectively challenge high-value naval targets.
Beyond advanced weaponry, the simple yet catastrophic possibility of a suicide attack remains a vivid reminder of carriers’ inherent vulnerabilities.
The attack on the USS Cole in 2000 serves as a stark illustration that despite technological advancements, the threat of human ingenuity and determination should not be underestimated.
Relevant articles:
– Why U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers Could Soon Get Blown Out of the Water, The National Interest
– Why are US Aircraft Carriers Hard to Sink?, fairbd.net
– 5 Ways a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Could Be Sunk in Battle, The National Interest
– How a Navy Super Hornet jet was blown off the USS Harry S. Truman, Washington Post