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Link Posted: 1/22/2017 5:20:56 AM EDT
[#1]

Link Posted: 1/22/2017 6:12:52 AM EDT
[#2]
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Quoted:
Not only are they sinkable, but they are not survivable in a war against a competent opponent. Modern anti-ship missiles are too fast, too accurate and have too much range for big, lumbering aircraft carriers to withstand. Aircraft carriers are probably more obsolete today for naval combat than battleships were in 1941. The only reason this is not widely understood is because we haven't had much in the way of naval combat since 1945.
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You have no idea what you are talking about. To describe a CVN as lumbering is retarded. Sure the hydroplanes are faster but what's their range?
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 6:28:32 AM EDT
[#3]
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 6:42:10 AM EDT
[#4]
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This will be a topic by those with no idea speculating and those who know keeping their lips zipped.
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LoL.  Derp!!!    

If it's made of metal.    It can sink.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 7:41:33 AM EDT
[#5]
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I think I have a fairly decent intuitive understanding of the concept, but I'm sure my verbiage would be comical. Basically, the launch platform has to get to within firing range without being destroy, then it has to acquire its target, then the missile has to fire properly, then it has to make it to the target without being fooled or destroyed by the countermeasures, and finally, it has to explode on impact (or after penetration of the hull). A certain percentage of the time, it will fail at each of those tasks. My contention is that the likelihood of the missile failing has been drastically reduced at each of those stages by new technologies.
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You're also forgetting that there is a chain of events that need to be fulfilled before you can even fire that missile, or volley of missiles, and damned near every step in that chain is vulnerable.

The only, and I mean, only way what you're describing would possibly happen would be a surprise strike from another global power, and then they wouldn't get to make another. Everything they had at the place the missiles were fired from would be a smoking crater at the hands of the rest of the carrier group who isn't exactly unarmed. Could China or Iran pull it off in the Persian gulf or Taiwan straits? Sure. But then they just kicked off a ruinous war with a military that can kick their asses ten times over with ease. At that point, they might as well had just nuked the U.S. Mainland.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 8:03:42 AM EDT
[#6]
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Quoted:
If you can get close enough you could try a sticky bomb
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Sticky bomb? Are you making that up?
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 8:08:16 AM EDT
[#7]
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Historically, Congress has been the best at destroying our military might.
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sadly you are correct.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 8:40:34 AM EDT
[#8]
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Sticky bomb? Are you making that up?
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it's in the field manual.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 8:51:22 AM EDT
[#9]
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Quoted:
it's in the field manual.
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Sticky bomb? Are you making that up?
it's in the field manual.
We seem to be out of field manuals, sir. Perhaps you can enlighten us.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 9:08:59 AM EDT
[#10]
they are made mostly of steel, I guarantee they can sink
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 9:23:50 AM EDT
[#11]
The only aircraft carrier that was unsinkable is the HMS Britian.

What a stupid question.

There was this the old Greek dude Archi Medes who ran around his house nekkid shouting "You reeker!!" after farting in the tub caused him to figured out a thing floats only if it weighs less than a henweigh.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 9:45:48 AM EDT
[#12]
There is a post in the comments section from a DaveA.  
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 9:54:34 AM EDT
[#13]
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This will be a topic by those with no idea speculating and those who know keeping their lips zipped.
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There is a video where they sink an old AC for a reef.  Apparently it was a bitch do sink it.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 10:20:29 AM EDT
[#14]
It would not surprise me if Iran sunk one traversing the Strait of Hormuz in a sneak attack.

Iran would not survive, but that was not OP's question.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 10:39:11 AM EDT
[#15]
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Its actually pretty easy to sink one.  The approach will not be easy. You are required to maneuver straight down this trench and skim the surface to this point. The target area is only two meters wide. It's a small thermal exhaust port, right below the main port. The shaft leads directly to the reactor system. A precise hit will start a chain reaction which should destroy the station. Only a precise hit will set off a chain reaction.
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Red Leader, standing by
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 10:58:29 AM EDT
[#16]
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We seem to be out of field manuals, sir. Perhaps you can enlighten us.
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Sticky bomb? Are you making that up?
it's in the field manual.
We seem to be out of field manuals, sir. Perhaps you can enlighten us.



This is good now we have to surrender our socks.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 11:14:58 AM EDT
[#17]
In a mock scenario, if we were to take one US carrier battle group and pit it against the other, my bet is that both carriers would be lost. As many have pointed out, we just haven't had to deal with an adversary who has the capability in modern times.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 11:20:03 AM EDT
[#18]
Question is how fast is the treadmill going?
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 11:31:52 AM EDT
[#19]
Are sea mines still a thing?

If I were a wealthy madman determined to sink a carrier I'd probably go about channeling my inner Osama by acquiring a Paki nuke and turning it into a sea mine placed stealthily at a shallow choke point like a remore area of the Suez canal. A gullible team of impressionable minions would be assigned to set it off manually.

I'm not 100% convinced it couldn't be done while in it's home port. Those charged with preventing such things have to be right every time. Attackers need only succeed once. Some semi-trained mouth breathers slipped through and took down the World Trade Center and hit the Pentagon. Our arrogance in assuming that we're too smart, advanced, and vigilant is a sure setup for failure. A little guy with a big bomb can prevail.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 11:33:18 AM EDT
[#20]
It would do well to remember that the Chinese tossed a lot of egg on the US Navy's face, twice, in recent years.  In 06 a sub surfaced just 5 miles from the USS Kitty Hawk, having gone undetected.  In '15 it happened to the Reagan.  We have de-empasized ASW, there are no more S-3's dashing around, and helo's cannot fill in the gap.  The P-8A will help.  

Yeah, I know, twice in 9 years, but has our ASW improved in that time?
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 11:38:19 AM EDT
[#21]




Unsinkable, eh?
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 11:52:33 AM EDT
[#22]
I recall reading that the sobering lesson of the Forrestal was that a simple unguided rocket led to the near sinking f a carrier.

Of course that was an older model, and the deck was loaded with ordinance at the time, but that was all it took.

In "wartime" wouldn't the ASW ships protecting it be using active sonar? I was under the impression that if you were not trying to hide yourself, that made it a lot easier to find subs?
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 12:22:45 PM EDT
[#23]
Every ship is sinkable. Question is, who has the motivation and equipment to do so? It won't be easy, and you'd really be ready and willing to accept terrible consequences.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 12:23:04 PM EDT
[#24]
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Don't see what all the focus is on sinking one, when all you have to do is render them unfit for flight ops to reduce their number one job. 

Hyper-sonic data linked swarming missiles that explode and rain pop can tabs and cigarette butts all over the flight deck would do that. 
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Link Posted: 1/22/2017 12:29:55 PM EDT
[#25]
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Indeed, and that's an old (style) boat even for the times. 

Anything newer than the 60's would be pretty damn tough, plus the decks are stronger to bear higher loads. 
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Those were only 20 kiloton nukes. Currently deployed warheads tend to be between 300 and 500 kilotons.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 12:31:31 PM EDT
[#26]
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My memory's a little fuzzy, but didn't we shoot down a sattelite in LEO with Aegis and SM-3? Satellite in LEO is moving at, what, 10k mph?
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Yeah, but one successful test does not equal "We can do this every time."
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 12:32:14 PM EDT
[#27]
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Quoted:

Hyper-sonic data linked swarming missiles that explode and rain pop can tabs and cigarette butts all over the flight deck would do that. 
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This is the most effective anti-carrier tactic I've ever heard.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 2:34:47 PM EDT
[#28]
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 2:58:35 PM EDT
[#29]
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Well what other option do we have to launch and recover aircraft at sea? Maybe they aren't as invincible as before but they are still of enormous strategic value.
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None lol. If I'm correct, there is no easy fix to this solution. The US would have to rely on land based aircraft and aerial refueling.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 3:00:16 PM EDT
[#31]
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You have no idea what you are talking about. To describe a CVN as lumbering is retarded. Sure the hydroplanes are faster but what's their range?
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Every large ship is lumbering as fuck compared to supersonic missiles.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 3:09:54 PM EDT
[#32]
My thesis paper involved several hundred cigarette boats armed with several more hundred surface to air/surface to surface/ anti ship missiles.

A few are going to get through
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 3:13:21 PM EDT
[#33]
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Dammit, I've been looking for that one. Which missile is it?
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 3:28:48 PM EDT
[#34]
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Quoted:
Dammit, I've been looking for that one. Which missile is it?
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P-270 Moskit

ETA: Mach 3 and full weight of 4.5 tons, 320Kg HE warhead or 120Kt nuclear.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 3:34:39 PM EDT
[#35]
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Yeah, but one successful test does not equal "We can do this every time."
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And it was *HIGHLY* modified for that particular very specific scenario. And that's all i'll say about that.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 3:37:45 PM EDT
[#36]
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P-270 Moskit

ETA: Mach 3 and full weight of 4.5 tons, 320Kg HE warhead or 120Kt nuclear.
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Quoted:
Dammit, I've been looking for that one. Which missile is it?


P-270 Moskit

ETA: Mach 3 and full weight of 4.5 tons, 320Kg HE warhead or 120Kt nuclear.
Like it even needs a warhead.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 3:39:32 PM EDT
[#37]
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Like it even needs a warhead.
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Yup, the current crop of Russian anti-ship missiles even have a small charge in the fuel tank. It turns whatever fuel is left into a FAE which adds to the terminal effectiveness.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 3:41:08 PM EDT
[#38]
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 3:44:36 PM EDT
[#39]
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Like it even needs a warhead.
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a lot of that weight is going to be fuel which may be mostly used up depending on the range it has to fly
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 3:49:11 PM EDT
[#40]
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And subs don't last long without bases and tenders.  Like I said, a really sharp opponent might get one carrier, or maybe even two.  But after that they better have a plan B.
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They don't need to last long, just long enough
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 3:49:47 PM EDT
[#41]
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a lot of that weight is going to be fuel which may be mostly used up depending on the range it has to fly
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Like it even needs a warhead.


a lot of that weight is going to be fuel which may be mostly used up depending on the range it has to fly
Did you watch the .gif? That missile slammed longways through that ship.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 3:57:56 PM EDT
[#42]
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I will concede that this may give carriers a new lease on life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StC9nRB_AVY  
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Embed >> Link
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 4:00:17 PM EDT
[#43]
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 4:10:24 PM EDT
[#44]
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Quoted:
The USS America supposedly took more punishment that the Navy expected when they did the sinkEx on it about 15 years ago. And that was without any point defenses or DC teams on board.  
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THIS

The film of the exercise is still classified except for the released footage of the actual sinking 3 days later.  A carrier fighting for its life would be a very tough target to take down as long as it can maintain power for pumps and other damage control activities.

And the technology for laser and electromagnetic rail guns keeps developing to the point that those will soon become major factors in point defense of carriers at sea.  So there may be a window of vulnerability at the moment, but as those systems come online our carriers are tough nuts to crack today and will become harder targets in the near future.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 4:15:32 PM EDT
[#45]
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Embed >> Link
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I will concede that this may give carriers a new lease on life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StC9nRB_AVY  


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The USS Ponce, which was one of the ships the Yemeni Houthis fired missiles at back in October, is equipped with a laser weapon.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 4:52:04 PM EDT
[#46]
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My thesis paper involved several hundred cigarette boats armed with several more hundred surface to air/surface to surface/ anti ship missiles.

A few are going to get through
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and how are you going to get those sourced and in place undetected?
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 4:56:02 PM EDT
[#47]
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They don't need to last long, just long enough
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And subs don't last long without bases and tenders.  Like I said, a really sharp opponent might get one carrier, or maybe even two.  But after that they better have a plan B.


They don't need to last long, just long enough


Do you think that if we lose a CVN we're just gonna give up, take our shit and head back home?
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 4:57:30 PM EDT
[#48]
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 5:07:47 PM EDT
[#49]
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Quoted:
The USS Ponce, which was one of the ships the Yemeni Houthis fired missiles at back in October, is equipped with a laser weapon.
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I will concede that this may give carriers a new lease on life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StC9nRB_AVY  


Embed >> Link
The USS Ponce, which was one of the ships the Yemeni Houthis fired missiles at back in October, is equipped with a laser weapon.

And we all read how many missiles LaWS downed.
Link Posted: 1/22/2017 5:13:20 PM EDT
[#50]
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What happened to the last ship that claimed to be 'unsinkable'?
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Let's see. That one sunk in its maiden voyage. All the carrier's we have, have made many voyages.  And unlike the Russian carrier, ours don't need a couple of tugs to be a part of its fleet.
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