That’s better, what is the fuel load of a TTT, is it considerably better than a Skyhawk with a buddy tank?

KC 130 has a cruise speed of 300 knots+, which is a much more comfortable speed for fast jets when refuelling than the 130 knot cruise speed of a Trader

Coventry was there together with the Sea Wolf equipped frigate Broadsword – and both systems, Sea Dart and Sea Wolf, failed to stop the last attack on Coventry.

The inability to gain Sea Dart lock in the radar clutter and lack of on-board CIWS meant the Coventry had to manoeuvre to avoid the attack which sunk her. This manoeuvre bought her across the line of fire of Broadsword’s Sea Wolf, which could not fire. Having 2 ships cover one another isn’t quite the same as equipping each ship with it’s its own adequate defences.

3:1 is not very impressive, if you consider that USN fought against very small and weak states as Korea, Vietnam, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan and Yugoslavia – non of them had significant means to endanger a carrier.

US super carriers were not tested in a combat against someone, who really had the means to sink them. Therefore there development is based only on experiences of peacetimes operations and strikes against weak, completely inferior states.

While the USN had not been tested defensively the CVWs have been used offensively since Korea against some of the best defensive systems in the world and have done very well. In air to air combat these small weak states have fielded some of the best fighters available in the world, in Korea it was Mig 15, in Vietnam it was Mig 21 and in Iraq 1991 it was Mirage F1, Mig 23/25, operating over their home territory with GCI radar systems and off limits sanctuary areas. If similar high-end tactical aircraft had to fight it out in the backyard of a CSG 3:1 would lead to horrendous losses to the attacking force, losses few air forces in the world can afford.

ISR cueing subs and land-based strike, just like everyone else. :p

Everyone else?

Granted subs have been known to get periscope photos of USN carriers, but most of the worlds subs are diesel and lack the mobility to do anything other than wait in ambush upwind of likely carrier operating areas. Since most countries have very limited sub fleets tying up a large portion of these assets in the hope a carrier will cruise into range at some time or another may not be the best use of the handful of subs available.

As for land based strike, in the 60+ years of the jet age the USN has managed about a 3:1 kill ratio in air combat, so presumably for an opponent to defeat a standard (not reinforced with more aircraft) CVW would require the acceptance of the loss of about 100 high end aircraft. I don’t know about what it takes to sink an AGEIS destroyer but the HMS Coventry shot down 3 aircraft before it was sunk so presumably to sink the escorts another 10 or more aircraft would be lost. Now since on 4 air forces in the world have more than 500 combat aircraft: Israel, India, China, Russia I don’t think many could afford to lose the 110 fast jets needed to sink a USN CSG.

This is not to say that USN CSGs are invulnerable, they most certainly are not and in war all sorts of things can and do happen. But going to war in the hope that you will strike it lucky and sink a carrier isn’t the way to run a country.

Aren’t the BRICs acquiring bigger careers? Certainly India and Brazil are, the Soviets did and China grabbed the biggest ship they could find from the outset. In addition the British are going as big as they can after 30 years of small carriers, Italy went twice as big with the Carvour after experience with Garibaldi, Spains Juan Carlos is much bigger than Principe de Austurias and France’s CdG is bigger than the Clems.

So it appears as if global consensus with regards to aircraft carriers is to go bigger, despite having to justify these momentous decisions to tight fisted, sticky fingered politicians. Even the Chinese with their DF21s have got one of the biggest non-US carriers in the world. Perhaps the USN, with a lot of highly dedicated and very intelligent Admirals, does actually know what it’s doing.