The formidable 'nemesis' of US aircraft carriers

The use of aircraft carriers in potential conflict at sea could cause serious damage to the US Navy because potential opponents such as Russia and China have long been equipped with weapons capable of effectively dealing with enemy super-heavy ships.

Photo: US Navy

That is the opinion of National Interest magazine commentator and military expert Robert Farley.

According to this expert, Russia and China could use classic torpedoes designed to destroy ground targets to fight against US aircraft carriers.

“No one knows how many torpedo hits a modern aircraft carrier can take before sinking, but it is important to realize that a single torpedo detonation can significantly complicate the solution of a combat mission,” said Robert Farley.

Of particular danger to US superheavy ships are precision cruise missiles, a weapon that both Russia and China possess.

The expert stressed that this type of weapon makes the "prey" lose the ability to take timely evasive action. At the same time, direct contact with the cruise missile on the ship's hull will lead to complete loss of combat capability.

The most serious threat to aircraft carriers is that modern anti-ship ballistic missiles, such as the mobile air defense systems equipped on many of the US Navy's "super heavy" ships, are not capable of destroying targets with ballistic flight paths.

Additionally, Farley draws attention to the "incredibly high cost" of aircraft carriers, and the "fear of battle damage" directly related to the "exorbitant" cost of the US flagship.

"Russia and China do not need to destroy US aircraft carriers to make them disappear completely," the expert commented: "They simply need to develop weapons capable of making the use of super-heavy ships in combat "dangerous" and "unfounded".

According to TPO