Aircraft Carriers and Anti-Ship Missiles

Aircraft carriers were once a primary means of projecting American force. U.S. military technology has since created less vulnerable weaponry such as long-distance aircraft and drones. Has the carrier lost its place as a core strategic asset, or does its symbolic role and massive firepower sustain its central mission?

This Global Ethics Corner slideshow is part of a weekly series from the Carnegie Council. For more information, go to: http://www.cceia.org

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[aviomaster]

1 Hiroshima style bomb tipped  anti ship missile and USA aircraft carrier becomes GHOST SHIP.

[2011gmh]

no , yes , yes.

[fastkillmmm]

@JohnTaylor5675 Believe me, China doesn't want to have war against US unless US pushes China into corner for example like helping Taiwan to become an independent country by US force dropping bombs on Chinese soil, China will have no choice but have to fight back, that's the red line hope Americans understand that.

[profnasty]

Cruise missiles? No. Abundant Cruise Missiles.

ssn-22 Mosquito. Neutralize the US Navy in minutes.

Black Sea- 8-8-o8. One Russian missile ship-12 US Ships.

Rus Cpt. "I can have them all on the bottom in 20 mins."

Was he drunk. With Israel, we'll soon find out.

[RJF1966]

@pnachtwey haha yea ive been saying that all the time..Russia,India,China,UK,Fr­ance and Italy have some from of carrier or another...yet those that dont have that real firepower or the so called experts say they are obsolete. x3time the size of a essex class carrier..none were sunk..Nimitz class carrier are huge with 11 major firewalls and over 2000 compartments and dozens of bulkheads..

[rieskimo]

I'm not an expert, but logically just because there is technology available to counter carriers effectiveness doesn't not negate the viability of the carrier. Once SAM technology was developed did that make any aircraft without stealth technology obsolete? Maybe I'm missing the point but that is what this seems to be suggesting.

[pnachtwey]

If carriers are dead ducks then why is China building one?

[k3ndawg7]

lol



[JohnTaylor5675]

This is all 100% pointless. China will never get into open war with the US and vice versa.

On the US's part, why start a fight with a country that is providing so much cheap labor and manufacturing capacity to American companies.

And on China's part, why start a fight with a country 1) whose debt comprises half of your national savings (don't shoot the guy who owes you money) and 2) whose companies and investment has fueled most of your economic growth for a couple of decades?

[rubadux]

The primary use of carriers since the cold war is over being blackmailing nations that can only muster inferior military technology into compliance, these ships still may accomplish their mission, because there are still lots of countries with inferior mil. power that can be impressed by a carrier group showing up. To beat military junkyards like Iraq into submission, you just don't need carriers of the current size, and less carrier groups.