Aircraft carriers, which appeared in the first half of the last century, acquired legendary status during World War II. They played a key role in the victory of the US and its allies in the Pacific against militaristic Japan. Now, 80 years later, some question their relevance. However, aircraft carriers continue to perform important functions - from deterring China in the Indo-Pacific region to managing the escalation of tensions in the Middle East after the attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement "Hamas" against Israel on October 7, 2023, writes BTA.
The question of how necessary large warships are was raised with full force after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago. The first major conventional war in Europe in 80 years has highlighted a number of new trends in military affairs, some of which were definitely not expected. In practice, Ukraine, deprived of a military fleet, has been extremely successful in countering Russian warships with its drones and unmanned boats, which have simply become large mobile targets.
PROJECTING POWER EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD
Even after years of rapid progress in Chinese military capacity, the United States is still unrivaled in its ability to project power anywhere in the world with its fleet of 11 aircraft carriers, notes the BBC. In this regard, the United States has an impressive advantage. More than half of the world's active aircraft carriers are theirs - 11 out of 20, open military data shows. China, India, Britain and Italy each have two, and France has one. Russia has no such ship at all. But is there any point in a $13 billion (12.45 billion euro) aircraft carrier like the "Carl Vinson" that China's latest missiles can sink in a matter of minutes, especially in the era of Donald Trump?, the BBC asks.
CARRIER CARRIERS AS DIPLOMATIC TOOLS
But these large warships play another important role these days - they highlight the friendliness of the United States and its willingness to work with allies. Earlier this month, the navies of the Philippines, the United States, Japan and France held joint exercises in the disputed South China Sea, large parts of which are claimed by Beijing. "Carl Vinson" and two other aircraft carriers participated, along with French and Japanese destroyers.
Without wars to fight, American aircraft carriers spend much of their time in joint training with allied ships, the BBC points out. Last year they took part in an exercise that brought together ships from 18 countries. The latest, 200 kilometers east of the Philippines, was smaller in scale, but on the other hand it was the first with the participation of a French aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean for more than 40 years.
In fact, the French "Charles de Gaulle" is the only warship in the world that can compete, albeit to some extent, with American supercarriers, but it is only half their size. Since Trump returned to the White House, the typical American friendliness and desire for cooperation have not been seen often in Washington. The tense scenes in Europe, where the US president's envoys have rejected the rules that have underpinned the international order for the past eight decades and let traditional allies know they are now alone, seem worlds away when viewed from warships taking part in the exercise, the BBC notes.
POWER IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION AND THE MIDDLE EAST
In a clear example of geopolitical tensions, China has held a live-fire military exercise in international waters between Australia and New Zealand, Reuters reported.
This, along with the approaching third anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, underlines the need to maintain the combat capability of the armed forces of Western allies at a high level. Especially in the Indo-Pacific region, which has replaced the Middle East as a priority in the latest US military strategy.
Japan now finds itself in "the most difficult and complex security situation. No country can protect its own security alone", Japanese Admiral Natsui Takashi said during the exercise off the Philippines.
And American supercarriers, with their great power and dozens of aircraft on board, undoubtedly contribute significantly to the military capacity of Western allies. Conflicts in the Middle East have also highlighted the important role of these maritime giants.
When the Middle East flared up on October 7, 2023, with the attack by "Hamas" against Israel, Iran never intervened decisively in support of a Palestinian Islamist movement that it otherwise supports. This restraint was undoubtedly contributed by the position of Washington, which not only issued an explicit warning to Tehran, but also deployed additional forces to the region, including two aircraft carriers. At the same time, the US confirmed its unwavering support for Israel despite some criticism of its close ally in the Middle East.
NO GUARANTEES FOR THE FUTURE
Despite their undeniable importance for the military capacity of the United States, the future of aircraft carriers does not seem guaranteed. "Carl Vinson", for example, "swallows" $ 700 million a year. And US President Donald Trump is planning layoffs and budget cuts for the Department of Defense.
Yesterday, Trump fired the top US military official and five other generals and admirals - moves that Reuters describes as unprecedented moves at the Pentagon. Yesterday, the department announced that it would lay off 5,400 people next week. This decision fits into Trump's plans to reduce the Pentagon's civilian workforce by 5-8%, which currently stands at about 950,000. It is part of the more general policy of the US president, who has entrusted billionaire Elon Musk with the task of reducing the number of personnel in the federal administration as a whole.