| Aircraft Carriers For The US Navy |
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On one hand the nuclear powered submarines of the US Navy serve the purpose of strategic nuclear defense. On the other, the aircraft carriers serve to protect US interests in international waters under threat of guerrilla warfare or other conventional means of warfare. The main advantage of aircraft carriers to the US Navy lies in their ability to maintain, launch and land fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
An aircraft carrier is therefore a huge battleship having a long flat deck which serves as a base for aircraft at sea. Based on an order a slew of aircraft can take flight very fast from the runway deck of an aircraft carrier. They serve well fly an operational sortie from the sea, fire their missiles and bombs deep into a conventional or guerilla war theater and land back again on deck. Considering that the open runway deck of an aircraft carrier becomes an unprotected sitting duck to a counterattack by potential enemies, it never ventures into the open sea all alone. It is always accompanied by a fleet of destroyers, cruisers, minesweepers, and is also under submarine cover. The US Navy therefore maintains different fleets of surface vessels each headed by an aircraft carrier always operational at sea in various different areas in the world. Although in most parts of the world today no active war is staged, earlier it was not so. During the Second World War, the aircraft carriers of the US Navy were stationed in international waters fighting Axis naval forces. Some of the deadliest air attacks were made on enemy ships and land forces using bombers launched from US Navy aircraft carriers. The fleet ship escorts accompanying the aircraft carriers also provided umbrella protection to Allied merchant vessels carrying weapons, medicines, and food to beleaguered nations. Later on, fleets of aircraft carriers of the US Navy mainly fought the war in Korea and in Vietnam. More recently, they launched cruise missiles on Iraq and on enemy forces in Kuwait. After 9/11, aircraft carrier launched aircraft pummeled Al Qaida ground positions in Afghanistan. Today with the petroleum based energy resources depleting fast, the aircraft carriers protect associated US energy interests in various areas in the world where potential enemies are playing a hide and seek game. They have also been instrumental in reducing and staving off the Somali pirate attacks very recently. The aircraft carriers of the US Navy are deeply revered by all US citizens. Just the sight of an aircraft carrier led fleet of US conventional warships anywhere in the world is sufficient to evoke awe and invoke media frenzy and speculation. It is definitely an icon of power that strikes immediate fear in enemy ranks. It justifies the forward presence role cut out for it by the US Defense Department. Currently the US Navy is using several nuclear powered Nimitz class super aircraft carriers and many smaller Enterprise class and Kitty Hawk class vessels. In future Ronald Reagan class and Gerald R Ford class aircraft carriers will even better protect US interests and commitments in international waters. Related Articles
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