Is the Age of the U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Really Over?

Summary and Key Points: The aircraft carrier has been central to U.S. Navy operations since WWII, projecting airpower globally. Despite emerging threats like stealth vessels, anti-ship missiles, and drones, carriers remain vital due to their unparalleled ability to project airpower from mobile platforms.

-The continued investment in Nimitz- and Ford-class carriers, despite their immense cost, underscores their strategic importance.

-While future threats may challenge carrier operations, these vessels currently provide unmatched operational flexibility and power projection.

-The notion that carriers are maintained merely for prestige is overly cynical; their practical value to U.S. military strategy remains significant.

Emerging Threats: The Future Viability of Aircraft Carriers

The aircraft carrier has been the cornerstone vessel of the U.S. Navy for since World War II, when the reign of the battleship unofficially ended. The face of warfare is always changing, technologies are always emerging, and certainly that evolution has continued over the last eight decades. The aircraft carrier won’t be viable as the Navy’s hallmark vessel forever. 

But is it fair to say already that with the emergence of stealthy surface and subsurface vessels, sophisticated anti-ship missiles, and rudimentary drones, the carrier era is ending? Have aircraft carriers already been reduced to figureheads, kept around for their imagery and prestige? No, I do not think so. It is hard to imagine the U.S. Navy would be investing billions and billions of dollars into a vessel that served little other purpose than conferring prestige. The aircraft carrier still has practical application.

Aircraft Carriers: Bringing Value to the Fleet

If you want to project airpower abroad from an unfixed location, the aircraft carrier is still your only option. For the U.S., whose grand strategy depends on projecting power just about anywhere on a moment’s notice, the carrier is a vital instrument. 

The Nimitz- and Ford-class ships that currently comprise the U.S. carrier fleet are nuclear-powered and designed to transport more than 100 aircraft. These carriers can shuttle their aircraft around the globe for about a quarter-century before having to refuel. Indeed, the aircraft carrier is a unique and powerful tool. 

The U.S. Navy’s belief in the value of the aircraft carrier can be inferred from its willingness to continue investing in carriers. The Nimitz-class carriers, which cost several billion a piece, have been receiving expensive overhauls so they can continue to serve for decades to come. The forthcoming Ford class is the most expensive warship ever. The class-leading USS Gerald R. Ford cost $13 billion. (The Ford program to date has cost $120 billion.) 

Granted, the Navy is incentivized to invest in expensive vessels for economic and political reasons – but I have trouble believing that the Navy would foot the bill for vessels that serve no purpose aside from conferring prestige or creating jobs and thus political goodwill. No, aircraft carriers are still rolling off the assembly line because they add value to the fleet and to make U.S. grand strategy possible.

Adapting to Future Threats

In the near future, aircraft carriers may prove especially vulnerable. Anti-ship missiles, stealth vessels, and drone swarms are likely to limit carrier access to certain seaways in much the way that radar and surface-to-air missiles can limit aircraft access to certain airspace today. Operating the supercarrier, a once-invincible vessel, may soon become more complicated and riskier. When the balance tips so far that the aircraft carrier is just no longer viable, expect to see the Navy begin to restructure their force. 

Generally, I welcome cynicism and critique over U.S. military spending – but the idea that the U.S. is maintaining an eleven-ship supercarrier fleet for the purpose of prestige-building is a step too cynical. 

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

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