Can 10 or more  missiles  sink a US aircraft carrier ?

The events of the last 13 months in Europe give analysts a chance to comment on the possibilities and capabilities of the two largest [now three – China] in the world – Russia and the USA. Although, at the moment, there are no indications of a direct confrontation between them, experts are looking for answers to many questions. One of them is the capability of US aircraft carriers.

Photo credit: Dzen.ru

• 
  

“How many missiles does it take to sink an American aircraft carrier?” This issue is becoming more relevant every year. However, it turns out that these American colossi are not at all easy to disable, on the contrary – it is even almost impossible.

What are US aircraft carriers?

US aircraft carriers are the backbone of the US Navy. There are now 10 such aircraft carriers in operation. They are considered the largest warships in the world. Their displacement is 106 tons or a little more.

The United States used its aircraft carriers in World War II in real large-scale battles. Therefore, they know from their own experience what is important to the survival of an aircraft carrier. Because of this, the ship has dozens of systems that increase its survivability.

Photo credit: Daily Press

First, the aircraft carrier is protected by high-strength steel plating. The ship’s deck is made of steel sheets. Second, because of its size, the aircraft carrier has a fantastic margin of buoyancy. It’s almost impossible to sink.

Third, all vital systems are duplicated on an aircraft carrier, such as control. Fourth, nuclear power plants and weapons are located deep in the underwater part. They are protected by powerful armor. The fuel is located in the buoys – that is, it is taken outside the ship.

What does it mean to attack an aircraft carrier?

Many experts, analysts, and political scientists will say that if there is a need to attack an American aircraft carrier, it means that a nuclear war has begun. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Today we all see that it is not so easy to use nuclear weapons. From a geopolitical point of view.

Photo credit: US Navy

We must not forget one more fact – on the deck of an aircraft carrier, there are dozens of bombs and planes loaded with fuel. And when all of that detonates, the ship will really take damage. At the same time, however, the aircraft carrier has a powerful deck fire extinguishing system.

Another fact – the aircraft carrier is never alone. It is escorted by ships that have anti-aircraft systems. I.e. many missiles will be shot down on their way before they even touch the deck of the aircraft carrier.

How many Zircons and TE-2 torpedoes are needed?

According to Alexei Lenkov, a Russian military expert and analyst, ten Zircon missiles, or even more, cannot sink an American aircraft carrier. That, says Lenkov if we take out of the equation the warships supporting the aircraft carrier, which will shoot down Zircon en route before they even hit the main target.

Photo creditL iStock Illustration

I.e. according to Lenkov, if ten or more Zircon missiles hit the aircraft carrier at once, it would damage but not sink the vessel. “Besides, 10 missiles will not sink an aircraft carrier. There will be damage, most likely it will suffer, but it is completely within the capabilities of the American aircraft carriers to return to their bases on their own,” says Lenkov.

On the other hand, TE-2 torpedoes are a good option because only they can hit the underwater part of an aircraft carrier. Missiles are not good for this. However, to really penetrate the ship’s armor, about 10 or even 20 new TE-2 torpedoes would be needed. The fact is that the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier has a 6-meter torpedo defense. It is a three-chamber system that extinguishes the blast. So you have to continuously hit the same point repeatedly.

A nuclear weapon against an aircraft carrier

It remains to say that nuclear weapons should not be overestimated. The aircraft carrier is sealed against weapons of mass destruction. Its steel walls keep out gamma radiation. The fire suppression system will wash the radiation off the deck. A charge of 300 kt, which will explode at a distance of one kilometer, will not be able to cause serious damage to the ship.

Photo credit: Lockeed Martin

So even a missile with a powerful nuclear warhead would have to hit within half a kilometer of the Nimitz to seriously injure it.

This is not a miracle weapon

An aircraft carrier can be sunk, it’s not a miracle weapon. However, to do serious damage, you’ll need to hit with a dozen Zircons, Onyx missiles, or torpedoes. That’s why Chinese research says it takes 20 hypersonic missiles to destroy an aircraft carrier.

If you hit with a lower number then most of the missiles will not reach due to the anti-aircraft missiles of the cloaking ships. And the rest will cause minor damage to the aircraft carrier. The ship will quickly sail to the base, undergo minor repairs and return to service in a few weeks.