John Bird, National Interest: Would U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers Lose a War to Iran?
Do we even have enough carriers?
The recent oil tanker attacks in the Gulf of Oman reinforce the need to reestablish a highly visible U.S. naval deterrent in the Middle East. For eight months last year, no aircraft carrier strike group plied the region, the longest such interruption this millennium. With the United States needing a more robust posture against Iran and confronting renewed challenges in Asia and Europe, several immediate measures and concerted longer-term efforts are critical to ensure America has the carriers it needs.
The requirement to maintain carrier presence in the Middle East is a critical part of a broader national security strategy, in which U.S. global security interests necessitate a worldwide force presence. Indeed, the Navy's mission demands remain as high as those of the Cold War, calling on ships to be everywhere seemingly at once, but today's fleet is less than half the size it was 30 years ago.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: It all comes down to how many anti-ship missiles Iran has, and how good are the U.S. Navy's anti-missile defense systems.
That carrier was sent over to protect US troops on the ground scattered all over the Persian Gulf area. Once the troops are thinned out, the ships will come back too. Nothing to do with maritime security.
ReplyDeleteIran need truth so blind to see
ReplyDeleteIran would endure weeks of round the clock aerial bombing before the carriers got anywhere near the anti-ship batteries missile range. Those batteries would be destroyed.
ReplyDeleteThe Iranian air forces would not be a factor vs the USAF or the carriers. The Iranian navy would not be a factor vs the USAF or Navy either.
The Iranians would have no soft US targets. No US oil freight (of any significance) travels thru the straits. THe county is ringed by US bases. Israel would be no holds barred in their assault. Likely Saudi as well.
What the Iranians would resort to would be to activate terror cells already in the US. and other western nations and create havoc that way. ....Depending on how extensive those cells are - inviting a fresh wave of annihilation.
There Diesel subs and mines are a real threat along with their antiship ballistic missiles l agree though the chances of hitting let alone sinking a carrier are extremely remote, that's not to say that a lot of tomahawks will be destroyed before they hit their targets.
Delete