Re: How Do You Sink A Carrier?
Well like I said in the earlyer thread, the only navy up to it migth have been the Soviet VMF. Thougth there are many uncertain and changing factors involving the question, but it think the best way of aproaching this question would be to assume that the carrier travels with high-tech task force backed with latest Aegis-type Air defence network. Assumptions to otherway brings too many "what ifs?" (thougth we cannot remain totally clear from those in the 'ideal scenario' either).
There also many examples of who the magic behind this have been questioned, we propaply hear the famous incident of couple of Russian Fighter-bombers overflowing the US carrier task group and how some chinese Sub penetrated close by japanese soil inspite the latest japanese ASW capapility...and yeas, the famous examples of how friendly SSKs have 'sunked' US carriers in the wargames....
These all have been taken place in the peacetime and we cannot predict or make basis of the carriers defences solely by taking account these little incidents. However, in real combat situations, for example in 1982 HMS Shefield sails with its sensors partly disconnected to avoid interfere with friendly fire and buys a price of it by getting sunk by Exocet...awfully similar thing happens this summer in near Beirut.....
So to destroy the carrier one needs strong enough weapons that can penetrate trough the defenceline and the past has shown that submarines are the far most best to do that. Modern AAW net with full allert on is quite unbeatable and Americans claim that in theory, their Aegis system is unpeneratable. Even when we know that that migth not be true in real combat situation, we can assume that missile or air attack would have small change to succses. Thougth if there is salvo of multible supersonic missiles flying by migth prove out to be bigger nut to crack....And against that, The Aegis is untested. But even with most modern thecnologies, there isent any Aegis-comparaple net-work against submarines. there are always change to sort of 'brake' trough by thisway, but relying to it would need massive armada of submarines commanded in tactically innovative way in order to get to the aiming point.
Also element of suprise is the key element wheter aproached from air or underwater, and to exploid that, one needs to have communication network between the units, the foward targeting and the actual weapons in order to conduct the attack under strong EW conditions an to face serious jamming from the carrier task force.
So to summ it up, you need a world class navy with really dedicated to the task of sinking carriers, the occasional dilettantes have little to say in this matter.
but then again we can set all that aside and think two important realityes of maritime warfare. 1) Chokepoints. Narrow straits and arhipegaloes. there arent single operational theather where US task force could enter whitout crossing atleast some sort of natures "line of defence". And even if there would be a one, the fact number 2) sea mines of today can lurk at the deep bottom of the ocean and give unpleasent suprise. Now, USN and all other major western navyes have been runnig their MCM forces down in the last decade and currently USN has lest than thirty MCM vessels and of these only 14 or so are ocean going type. So if you want my ultimate answer to the one and only weapon that can sunk carriers I would say mines. Even if they wouldnt sink the carrier, they can do lot to harm to the task group, stop it or destroy its AEGIS ships and thus allow the chainreaction where your other forces can begun exploiding this unexpected turn.
