Nowadays, major powers are striving to develop aircraft carriers, recognizing that having aircraft carriers can better protect their maritime interests.
The United States, as the country with the strongest aircraft carrier capabilities, undoubtedly demonstrates its hegemony in the world with its eleven aircraft carriers.
However, many people believe that as long as an aircraft carrier's position can be accurately located, a single missile, such as an anti-ship missile, can easily sink the carrier.
But in fact, this idea might be too optimistic.
Sinking an aircraft carrier is actually more difficult than reaching the sky because anti-ship missiles are not specifically designed to target and sink aircraft carriers.
So, how difficult is it to sink an aircraft carrier? What role can anti-ship missiles actually play?
The power of aircraft carriers in modern warfare should not be underestimated.
They are like superstars in the navy, equivalent to a mobile airport, capable of carrying a large number of carrier-based aircraft.
These aircraft can strike enemies from long distances, conduct reconnaissance, early warning, and anti-submarine missions.
With an aircraft carrier, the operational range of the aircraft is wider, making strikes against the enemy more powerful and harder to evade.
Aircraft carriers also provide strong defense for the navy.
They are like fortresses at sea, able to resist enemy attacks.
Aircraft carriers are equipped with numerous weapons and defense systems and can form a powerful battle group with destroyers, cruisers, submarines, and frigates, making it difficult for the enemy to find a way in.
A country with an aircraft carrier means it is a military power, and other countries will be wary of it.
The presence of an aircraft carrier not only enhances a country's military strength but also boosts its international status.
Without aircraft carriers, the navy would lose its long-range strike capability, and the air force would lose important support at sea, unable to maximize its combat effectiveness.
Moreover, a carrier battle group is powerful enough to destroy a small country.
This group consists of not only the aircraft carrier but also various ships and carrier-based aircraft, forming a formidable combat force.
Although many people think sinking an aircraft carrier is easy, it is actually very difficult, almost impossible.
An aircraft carrier is not a small fishing boat; it has thick armor. Breaking through its defenses requires exceptionally powerful weapons.
Around the aircraft carrier, there are many ships protecting it, such as destroyers and cruisers, providing excellent protection.
Additionally, the carrier-based aircraft on the aircraft carrier can take off in time to launch a fierce counterattack on the attacker.
In 2005, the United States conducted various weapon bombing experiments on a retired Kitty Hawk-class aircraft carrier, lasting for 25 days, and still could not destroy it.
This shows that successfully sinking an aircraft carrier requires tremendous effort and cost.
So, are anti-ship missiles still useful?
Many countries have developed various anti-ship missiles, among which hypersonic anti-ship missiles have attracted attention due to their high speed and flexible trajectories, making them difficult to intercept.
Although it is hard to sink an aircraft carrier, it does not necessarily need to be sunk. For example, China's DF-21D missile can accurately strike the carrier's deck, rendering it inoperative.
In conclusion, while sinking an aircraft carrier is almost impossible, it is possible to disable it through other means, although this also requires a significant amount of effort.
All this shows that sinking an aircraft carrier is a daunting task, but disabling it through other means is possible, though it also requires substantial effort.
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