Defense net helps US supercarriers deal with anti-ship missiles

The US's $13 billion supercarrier USS Gerald R. Ford has been commissioned as a pilot, with powers like Russia and China both completing their powerful anti-ship missile systems. Experts say this will force Washington to look for ways to strengthen its aircraft carrier defense systems to counter this threat, according toBusiness Insider.

"Some people think that there are so many weapons systems optimized for the carrier-killing mission that the aircraft carrier will soon become obsolete," said former naval officer Bryan McGrath.

With a value of more than 10 billion USD each, not to mention the value of the aircraft fleet and 7,000 sailors on the payroll., each aircraft carrier sunk by anti-ship missiles would cause terrible damage, becoming a heavy blow to the greatest pride of the US Navy.

In that context, the Pentagon is taking steps to strengthen the defense network for aircraft carriers. "As Russia and China continue to develop their capabilities to attack aircraft carriers, the United States will seek better defenses," US Navy Colonel James C. Rentfrow affirmed.

According to military expert Alex Lockie, current US aircraft carriers are equipped with three layers of defense.

First is the SM-3 air defense missile and Aegis combat system placed on escort warships, with the task of remotely detecting and intercepting cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and enemy fighters targeting the aircraft carrier.

If enemy anti-ship missiles and fighter jets penetrate this long-range defense, destroyers and cruisers can launch SM-6 and RIM-162 ESSM medium-range missiles to intercept them.Phalanx Close-in Weapon System (CIWS)and the carrier-based SeaRAM will be the final shield in a three-layer defense.

However, the US is planning to equip more future weapons to increase the protection capabilities of the Ford-class supercarriers.

The first is the laser weapon system, designed to destroy enemy warships or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Each aircraft carrier can be equipped with up to six laser weapon systems, allowing them to burn or blind enemy equipment from a long distance.

Another solution being considered is the electromagnetic railgun. This weapon can fire a projectile at a speed of up to 7,200 km/h, nearly six times the speed of sound and much faster than conventional artillery shells. The railgun’s long range and fast reaction speed would help enhance the defense of aircraft carriers against enemy anti-ship cruise missiles.

"Installing a railgun on one or more aircraft carriers would not be difficult," McGrath said.

The Ford-class supercarriers have three times the power of the Nimitz-class, ensuring enough power for both weapons. In addition, the electromagnetic catapult launch system (EMALS) and new arresting cables allow for the operation of fighters with a larger take-off and landing weight, increasing the combat radius and intercepting threats from a distance.

The final solution is to create an entirely new carrier air wing. "The advantage of an aircraft carrier is that you can change weapons systems without going back to the factory. The US Navy can just retire old aircraft and deploy new aircraft with missile interception capabilities," McGrath assessed.