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How vulnerable is an air craft carrier? ***OFFICIAL*** & ***CONFIRMED***

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No Lifer
The US has some extremely gross large air craft carriers. None of these in recent years have gone up against a genuine attack...I'm wondering how capable they really are at fighting one off? It seems to me like a lucky bomber could do nasty work on one. Sure they have strong anti-air and their own air force but has the US made them too big? Losing a few thousand men and all the equipment on one of these wouldn't be pretty. It's a lot of eggs in one basket.
 
They also have to go through all the destroyers and the rest of the battlefleet. I think it takes more then one bomb to take down a carrier.
 
I'm sure they're better protected now after the attack on the USS Cole.

Though that incident might also be an indication of how vulnerable they are...
 
Not very vulnerable considering they have an entire air wing at thier disposal, and are usually escorted by an Arleigh Burke class AEGIS cruiser.
 


<< They also have to go through all the destroyers and the rest of the battlefleet. I think it takes more then one bomb to take down a carrier. >>


thats why they make them so big, they are all escorted by destroyers. i think it was like 8 or something. not sure though.
 
First of all, it's "aircraft" not "air craft" 😉

Second, carriers are well protected. Besides their aircraft, they are surrounded by a taskforce consisting of numerous ships designed to battle submarines, surface-ships and aircrafts.

Of course you CAN destroy aircraft-carrier. It's just really difficult.
 
You answered your own question. They have their own defence in the aircraft that are on standby and flying at all times. Another aircraft or missle could not even get close. If it did happen it would have to come from below if anything but they have support from below as well. Take it from a former Navy man that they are the MOST protected vessels on the planet!
 


<< I could be wrong, but I believe aircraft carriers are usually escorted by other naval ships. >>

That would be an understatement.
 
They are pretty vulnerable if they are taken by suprise. If they have some warning of course they would kick some ass. The deck of a carrier is supposed to be bomb resistant (depends on the bomb) so that it won't sink. Carriers also travel with many other support ships that are there to protect it from threats such as submarines. In the end they aren't very vulnerable becuase no one tries to fight us.
 
Since they have radar, an air/sea attack would not be able to surprise them.

The only thing I can see is if they were hit by some incoming missles.

amish
 


<< If any of you Navy guys have read Red Storm Rising, how plausible do you think those scenarios are? >>


You sunk my battleship!!
 
You'd probably be able to take one down if you nuked it. Or if you could get Jet Li on board he could probably take it over for you.
 
Of course carriers are going to be protected up the wazoo.

Anything from air would be spotted on the radar 300 miles away.

For air to get through the protection, it'd have to be a lot of aircraft or really good technology or both.

For sea to get through, both.

The only thing I can think of is study the carrier fleet's movements from afar, stick a non-moving sub in it's path well ahead of time, wait for carrier fleet go pass over, rise, shoot everything they can in one go and get the hell away.
 
The only way to destroy a carrier is to overwhelm it with enough missiles to get throught it defenses. The AEGIS cruisers will start unloading missile to intercept incoming missiles, and each ship will start firing chaff to confuse missiles. If they still get through, the phalanx guns on each ship are the last line of defense.
 


<< Since they have radar, an air/sea attack would not be able to surprise them.

The only thing I can see is if they were hit by some incoming missles.

amish
>>



Even that would be tough because many ships in the carrier battle group (including the carrier) have that Phalynx anti missle system (that big gattling gun type weapon).

Skroob......... don't tell me your planning on attacking a carrier with our one tank 😉

Cheers,
Aquaman
 


<< The only way to destroy a carrier is to overwhelm it with enough missiles to get throught it defenses. The AEGIS cruisers will start unloading missile to intercept incoming missiles, and each ship will start firing chaff to confuse missiles. If they still get through, the phalanx guns on each ship are the last line of defense. >>



That's pretty cool! I didn't know they had that much working anti-missle technology. 🙂



<< << Or if you could get Jet Li on board he could probably take it over for you. >> >>



Uhh... no. You've been watching too many movies.

amish
 


<< If any of you Navy guys have read Red Storm Rising, how plausible do you think those scenarios are? >>


I have read that book several times. Good book, very entertaining. Cannot/will not comment on the plausibility of any of those scenarios.


<< stick a non-moving sub in it's path well ahead of time, wait for carrier fleet go pass over, rise, shoot everything they can in one go and get the hell away. >>


You would have a short, albeit very exciting, life.

There are two kinds of ship's that go to sea-- Submarines and targets. Anything that floats is really vulnerable to torpedos and missiles. In that order.

Chief
 


<< There are two kinds of ship's that go to sea-- Submarines and targets. Anything that floats is really vulnerable to torpedos and missiles. In that order.

Chief
>>


most aircraft carriers are escorted by nuclear subs as well.
 


<< Cannot/will not comment on the plausibility of any of those scenarios. >>

So it's plausible then. 🙂
 
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