US aircraft carriers are no longer the ultimate deterrent because China, Iran and Russia can easily attack them with new technology
By James Wilkinson For Daily Mail Online
Published: 19:42 EST, 22 February 2016 | Updated: 07:26 EST, 23 February 2016
An obsession with aircraft carriers may end the the United States' naval dominance if military leaders don't change their ways, a report warned today. It says China, Russia and other countries have 'increasingly lethal and precise' weapons and tactics that can destroy carriers, breaking the backbone of the Navy.
Aircraft carriers are at the core of the Navy's arsenal. Not only are the fearsome juggernauts incredibly powerful and difficult to take down, there are also many of them: ten in active service. That's the exact same number of active carriers that every other country in the world has, combined.
But reliance on the behemoths has made the navy complacent, and in serious danger of being taken down by new weapons and tactics displayed by other countries, according to Red Alert: The Growing Threat to U.S. Aircraft Carriers, a report released by bipartisan think-tank Center for a New American Security.

+8
Threatened: Aircraft carriers like the Harry S Truman (pictured) are the backbone of the US Navy, but other countries like China and Russia, have ways to disable or even annihilate carriers in combat, a report says

+8
Killer: This DF-21D missile, shown during a parade in Beijing last year, is said to be a 'carrier killer' and would be used as part of the 'area denial' tactics, which block off certain areas to carriers for fear of obliteration

+8
Deployed: China's HQ-9 missile launchers were identified in the report as being an area-denial threat, and were deployed onto a disputed island in the South China Sea this month
The core problem that the US Navy faces, the report says, is that other countries are perfecting 'area denial' methods of blocking off combat areas so that US carriers and their planes can't get close enough to fight effectively without suffering severe damage or even destruction.
They're doing that with newer aircraft, drone technology, submarines and even carrier-busting super missiles that have been developed in recent years. Last month, Iran showed off secret drone footage of the 18-year-old US carrier Harry S Truman.
The newest US carrier currently in active service is the nine-year-old George HW Bush. The oldest is the Nimitz, which took to the sea in 1975.
The US is currently constructing two more carriers, the Gerald R Ford and the John F Kennedy, which will be launched this year and in 2020, respectively. A third, the Enterprise, is scheduled for 2025.
But, says the report, the danger is more immediate. China is 'the pacing threat' right now, with two carrier-busting missiles - the DF-21D and DF-26 - that 'represent a significant threat to the carrier,' being able to take down ships and even reach Guam, a US territory about 2,000 miles away from the Chinese coast.
And Beijing showed willingness to set out areas of strong control around its borders with weaponized artificial islands last year, while placing HQ-9 anti-aircraft missiles - a type specifically identified in the report - on the disputed Woody Island in the South China Sea earlier this month.
That's especially dangerous to US carriers right now because current tactics see them sailing closer to battles than they used to, so that they can send out multiple short-term air attacks rather than relying on their long-distance weapons.

+8
Parade: This military parade, held by Beijing in commemoration of WWII, was a show of Chinese military might, with many missile launchers on display

+8
Growler: Russia deployed its SA-21 'Growler' anti-aircraft missiles to Syria last year, giving them coverage over the entire country and much of the eastern Mediterranean. Such weapons are essential for area denial

+8
Drone: The USS Harry S Truman was secretly filmed by an Iranian drone last month, with footage being broadcast on Iranian television
The new weapons owned by China and other countries, could be used along with submarines, drones and other armaments designed to restrict the movement of carriers and 'launch a saturation attack against the carrier from a variety of platforms and directions. Such an attack would be difficult - if not impossible - to defend against.'
Russia is also named as a threat in the report, which points out that it made much of the technology used by China, as is Iran. All three countries are noted to be building up arms that can 'place constraints' on US carrier operation.
In November last year, Russia deployed its high-tech SA-21 'Growler' anti-aircraft missiles to Syria, allowing them to target planes over the country and much of the eastern Mediterranean - exactly the kind of weapon that could be combined into an area-denial attack.Solutions given by the report include increasing the distance at which aircraft on the carrier can travel before fighting, shifting money away from carriers and towards submarines and other underwater vehicles, and focusing on future tech like the US Navy's railgun, which can fire shells at seven times speed of sound.
Regardless, says the report, the US needs to quit its obsession with carriers 'and explore innovative options for future operations and force structure.
'If the United States is to maintain its military superiority well into the future, it cannot afford to do otherwise.'

+8
Ground-to-air: Ground-to-air missile launchers such as this Russian Triump S-400 are combined with anti-ship missiles, submarines, drones and other technology to make an area-denial web

+8
Waiting: Once an area has been set up for 'denial,' carriers must choose whether they want to engage effectively and risk destruction, or fight less effectively from a distance
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3459383/US-aircraft-carriers-no-longer-ultimate-deterrent-China-Iran-Russia-easily-attack-new-technology.html#ixzz412HAWFHb
- The Center for a New American Security says the US relies on old tactics
- Those tactics make heavy use of aircraft carriers, which can be taken down with a combo of new weapons, tech and tactics deigned to trap carriers
- These 'area denial' systems force carriers to choose between fighting at a distance, where they are less effective, or closing in and risking attack
- 'Such an attack would be difficult - if not impossible - to defend against,' report warns
- China is 'the pacing threat' because of its technological developments
By James Wilkinson For Daily Mail Online
Published: 19:42 EST, 22 February 2016 | Updated: 07:26 EST, 23 February 2016
An obsession with aircraft carriers may end the the United States' naval dominance if military leaders don't change their ways, a report warned today. It says China, Russia and other countries have 'increasingly lethal and precise' weapons and tactics that can destroy carriers, breaking the backbone of the Navy.
Aircraft carriers are at the core of the Navy's arsenal. Not only are the fearsome juggernauts incredibly powerful and difficult to take down, there are also many of them: ten in active service. That's the exact same number of active carriers that every other country in the world has, combined.
But reliance on the behemoths has made the navy complacent, and in serious danger of being taken down by new weapons and tactics displayed by other countries, according to Red Alert: The Growing Threat to U.S. Aircraft Carriers, a report released by bipartisan think-tank Center for a New American Security.

+8
Threatened: Aircraft carriers like the Harry S Truman (pictured) are the backbone of the US Navy, but other countries like China and Russia, have ways to disable or even annihilate carriers in combat, a report says

+8
Killer: This DF-21D missile, shown during a parade in Beijing last year, is said to be a 'carrier killer' and would be used as part of the 'area denial' tactics, which block off certain areas to carriers for fear of obliteration

+8
Deployed: China's HQ-9 missile launchers were identified in the report as being an area-denial threat, and were deployed onto a disputed island in the South China Sea this month
The core problem that the US Navy faces, the report says, is that other countries are perfecting 'area denial' methods of blocking off combat areas so that US carriers and their planes can't get close enough to fight effectively without suffering severe damage or even destruction.
They're doing that with newer aircraft, drone technology, submarines and even carrier-busting super missiles that have been developed in recent years. Last month, Iran showed off secret drone footage of the 18-year-old US carrier Harry S Truman.
The newest US carrier currently in active service is the nine-year-old George HW Bush. The oldest is the Nimitz, which took to the sea in 1975.
The US is currently constructing two more carriers, the Gerald R Ford and the John F Kennedy, which will be launched this year and in 2020, respectively. A third, the Enterprise, is scheduled for 2025.
But, says the report, the danger is more immediate. China is 'the pacing threat' right now, with two carrier-busting missiles - the DF-21D and DF-26 - that 'represent a significant threat to the carrier,' being able to take down ships and even reach Guam, a US territory about 2,000 miles away from the Chinese coast.
And Beijing showed willingness to set out areas of strong control around its borders with weaponized artificial islands last year, while placing HQ-9 anti-aircraft missiles - a type specifically identified in the report - on the disputed Woody Island in the South China Sea earlier this month.
That's especially dangerous to US carriers right now because current tactics see them sailing closer to battles than they used to, so that they can send out multiple short-term air attacks rather than relying on their long-distance weapons.

+8
Parade: This military parade, held by Beijing in commemoration of WWII, was a show of Chinese military might, with many missile launchers on display

+8
Growler: Russia deployed its SA-21 'Growler' anti-aircraft missiles to Syria last year, giving them coverage over the entire country and much of the eastern Mediterranean. Such weapons are essential for area denial

+8
Drone: The USS Harry S Truman was secretly filmed by an Iranian drone last month, with footage being broadcast on Iranian television
The new weapons owned by China and other countries, could be used along with submarines, drones and other armaments designed to restrict the movement of carriers and 'launch a saturation attack against the carrier from a variety of platforms and directions. Such an attack would be difficult - if not impossible - to defend against.'
Russia is also named as a threat in the report, which points out that it made much of the technology used by China, as is Iran. All three countries are noted to be building up arms that can 'place constraints' on US carrier operation.
In November last year, Russia deployed its high-tech SA-21 'Growler' anti-aircraft missiles to Syria, allowing them to target planes over the country and much of the eastern Mediterranean - exactly the kind of weapon that could be combined into an area-denial attack.Solutions given by the report include increasing the distance at which aircraft on the carrier can travel before fighting, shifting money away from carriers and towards submarines and other underwater vehicles, and focusing on future tech like the US Navy's railgun, which can fire shells at seven times speed of sound.
Regardless, says the report, the US needs to quit its obsession with carriers 'and explore innovative options for future operations and force structure.
'If the United States is to maintain its military superiority well into the future, it cannot afford to do otherwise.'

+8
Ground-to-air: Ground-to-air missile launchers such as this Russian Triump S-400 are combined with anti-ship missiles, submarines, drones and other technology to make an area-denial web

+8
Waiting: Once an area has been set up for 'denial,' carriers must choose whether they want to engage effectively and risk destruction, or fight less effectively from a distance
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3459383/US-aircraft-carriers-no-longer-ultimate-deterrent-China-Iran-Russia-easily-attack-new-technology.html#ixzz412HAWFHb
» Foreign Affairs: Disagreements over many issues with Türkiye, especially water
» An economic expert proposes a "magic solution" to avoid the crisis of the high price of the dollar
» Famous Bank: The Middle East is going through a golden age
» Kurdistan's violations... began with corruption deals. Will they end with obedience and loyalty to I
» In the document, the Central Bank gives exchange companies 6 months to implement this order
» Rusafa Municipality: A move to automate real estate transactions and building permits
» Baghdad and Moscow concluded a memorandum of understanding in the field of combating corruption
» Transportation forms a committee to analyze immobile bank accounts in the ministry
» Decisions of the 29th session of the Ministerial Council for the Economy
» Compulsory conscription will be absent for a long time this time.. The idea of a “security contrac
» The Ministerial Council for the Economy takes a package of decisions regarding mills... and raising
» An Iraqi company unveils a fertilizer that increases crop productivity by 40%
» American Foreign Policy: Washington must set red lines for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
» A new law changes Iraq's strategy to combat drugs
» Parliamentary Finance announces its agreement with the Minister of Planning to resolve the issues of
» Parliament adjourns its session until next Wednesday
» Advisor Mazhar Saleh: Sovereign guarantees encourage the business environment in Iraq
» Exchange companies under categories (A, B)
» After months of suspension and years of disputes.. What is the Iraqi-Turkish oil line?
» The Central Bank denies the scarcity of cash liquidity and describes its currency and gold reserves
» An economic expert details the cash conversion cycle of the Iraqi dinar
» 98% of the factories of the largest industrial city in eastern Iraq have stopped
» After procrastination and procrastination.. What are the implications of Turkish approval to resume
» Concerning Khor Abdullah... collecting parliamentary signatures demanding that the government take t
» The Judicial Council reveals the preparation of a law for general amnesty for women and juveniles
» Al-Araji: Iraq is continuing to implement the provisions of the joint security agreement with Iran
» The President of the Republic receives the credentials of the ambassadors of four Arab and foreign c
» Deputy: 11 countries want to invest in the path of development...the number will reach 50 soon
» Transport announces the start of the second phase of operating the Grand Welcome Square
» “Secretly”.. Revealing the agendas of Masrour Barzani’s visit to Israel
» Al-Halbousi summons a thousand soldiers to protect his homes in Anbar
» Al-Iqtisad News publishes the recommendations of the World Investor Day Conference
» Commerce sets the date for starting the first step of electronic transformation
» The Minister of Agriculture directs the release of funds for compensation for the loss of land
» Labor announces the suspension of restrictions on 448 beneficiaries of the full-time employee’s sala
» The Iraq Stock Exchange announces trading indicators for shares of joint stock companies for the mon
» Baghdad and Moscow are discussing developing relations in the oil and energy sector
» Deputy: The conservatives neglected the civil defense file because it does not provide media gains
» For three reasons: the Sudanese government is “waiting” to open hot corruption files in an Iraqi gov
» Tehran responds to Baghdad's move and sends a team to Iraq to closely follow the "security agreement
» Parliamentary Finance points out the provinces' problems as a result of not releasing budget funding
» A slight increase in the exchange rates of the dollar in the local markets
» Iran is ready to send manpower to Iraq at all job levels
» President Barzani and Muhammad Haj Mahmoud discuss developments in Iraq and Kurdistan and relations
» The coordination framework rejects the statements of one of the representatives regarding Al-Abadi
» Minister of Justice, Dr. Khaled Shawani, refers a draft of draft instructions for employing inmates
» Zain Iraq launches “SuperCard” cards with new options that keep pace with the diverse needs of subsc
» A clear decline in the work of Parliament as a result of most forces being preoccupied with the elec
» Huge financial losses incurred by the local economy despite government decisions
» The President of the Republic to the ambassadors of four countries: Coordination is important to est
» The House of Representatives holds a new session
» Iran: Part of the security agreement with Iraq has not yet been implemented, and we are preparing a
» The economic paper is at the top.. Türkiye is putting pressure and Iraq is facing options to overcom
» Security expert: Preserving sovereignty depends on the diplomatic aspect
» Parliamentary Committee: The government seeks to get rid of Turkish pressure and drain the region’s
» The US army intensifies its activities by exporting stolen Syrian oil to northern Iraq
» Honest: There is no agreement to pass the general amnesty law
» A parliamentarian obtains the approval of the Minister of Labor to include diabetic patients in soci
» Parliamentary Finance hosts the Minister of Planning regarding the delay in financing projects
» Sudanese requires attention to the requirements of the development path in any agreement to operate
» A political analyst was imprisoned and fined on a lawsuit by Al-Sudani
» Foreign remittances increased by 92% in the Iraqi currency auction
» OPEC Secretary General: The organization is optimistic about the demand for oil
» Al-Sudani chairs the meeting of the Supreme Committee for Implementing the Development Road Project
» Turkish Minister of Energy: This week, we will start operating the oil pipeline between Iraq and Tur
» The Minister of Health announces the achievement of a financial saving estimated at $40 million from
» Securities: There is a foreign investment portfolio within the market amounting to $250 million
» The central bank sells more than $192.6 million in the currency auction
» Strong purchases push Bitcoin to its highest level in more than a month... gains exceeding 4%
» Iraq agrees to open 4 Jordanian banks and conduct business in Baghdad
» Soon.. completion of the rehabilitation of the celebrations square
» Increasing rates of work on the land pilgrimage route
» Parliamentary Planning completes an evaluation of the work of six ministries
» The country's markets are suffering from a scarcity of cash liquidity
» The four presidencies renew their rejection of any aggression targeting the country's territory
» Securities offer guarantees to attract capital
» Incidents that threaten the credibility of the “infrastructure government”.. Demonstrations demandin
» Headed by a senior official...an Iraqi delegation delivers to Tehran a joint report on “opposition p
» The results of "Al-Haitham" convince Parliament... Three advantages of the investigation into the "H
» Sudanese directs to reduce the protection of officials and prevent open protection movement (documen
» Türkiye announces the resumption of oil pumping from Iraqi Kurdistan this week
» Setback and death... Iraqi ports are closed to "red vegetables" and farmers destroy them to protest
» The average price of Iraqi oil exported to Jordan is less than $14 per barrel
» Iraq condemns the suicide attack in Türkiye: We support efforts to confront terrorism
» Resources announces the construction of 36 dams to harvest water during the next year
» Basra Gas exports 25 thousand tons of condensates
» Parliamentary Finance hosts the Minister of Planning regarding the delay in financing ongoing projec
» Integrity arrests an accused red-handed in receiving sums of money in exchange for a promise to appo
» Turkish Minister of Energy: This week, we will start operating the oil pipeline between Iraq and Tur
» Iraq: The factions return cautiously to Anbar after the decline in American activity
» “Political investment” in Iraq falls on the line of the Hamdaniyah tragedy
» Türkiye: Destroying PKK targets in Iraq
» Parliamentary mobilization to overthrow the central bank governor: failure and unfulfilled promises
» Iraq reaches settlement of its debts owed to Iran
» Iran demands “full” implementation of the security agreement with Iraq
» Iraq is betting on the development road project to strengthen its relations with Türkiye
» Iraq's oil exports reached 3.4 million barrels per day in September
» Al-Sudani chairs the meeting of the Supreme Committee for Implementing the Development Road Project