Carriers: Centerpiece of power projection

Wings of Gold,  Fall 2000  by Allen, Richard C

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The aircraft carrier, with its embarked air wing, is the cen terpiece of America's power projection capability. It has been that way since 1942 when the carrier force was decisively introduced in the Pacific Theater of operations. It has been the most called-upon force to exercise military power in those cases where the President has needed to engage. Since WWII, carriers and carrier aviation have been involved in well over 200 international crises, significantly more than any other service.

Despite changes in the world military power balance, the aircraft carrier has remained a major base for air power brought to bear against the opposition. Why? Because it is forward deployed, combat ready and lethal, maneuverable, survivable, flexible, adaptable, operates in international waters, is logistically supportable and is free from the time, space and political considerations of land based forces. Two thirds of the earth is covered by water and 80 percent of the earth's population lives less than 200 miles from shore, therefore most military targets of interest are not far from a body of water. As the U.S. considers further withdrawal from overseas bases, Naval forces, centered around the carrier, will become even more relevant in the exercising of American diplomacy, presence, and ability to react timely when needed.

As stated in the MIT Security Studies Program Paper titled "Sea-Based Aviation and the Next U.S. Aircraft Carrier Design: The CVX," dated January 1998: "The devastating power of a carrier battle group has been unleashed many times during the past half century. The potency of the carrier battle group is growing. Naval aircraft are becoming more stealthy. Their weapons are more accurate and can be fired from greater distance. The intelligence required to cue them and their ability to target their weapons has improved. The integration of sensors and weapons is also significantly improving as a result of advancing information system technologies. All this makes the carrier battle group a crucial element of our Armed Forces when it comes to conventional deterrence and when that fails, in crisis response."

This should ring distinctively clear during the DoD 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), which will review national security strategy, publish a new national military strategy, define what it is the Nation expects its military forces to be able to do and determine what force structure is required to do it. Those charged with this daunting task will likely argue over the contributions of carriers and carrier based aircraft and there will likely be heated debate over land based bomber versus carrier based and forward ground based tactical aircraft response. Some predict that the QDR will retain the primary military requirement of being able to fight two "major regional contingencies" nearly simultaneously CINCEUR, CINCCENT and CINCPAC all require continuous carrier presence in their respective theaters. The 12 carrier force is spread too thin to satisfy their requirements, while complying with the OPTEMPO and PERSTEMPO requirements of the rotational carrier structure. The QDR must thoroughly review carrier contribution, flexibility, experience and warfighting strength and should increase the size of the carrier force to the minimum of 15 required to achieve the Nation's work. There is substantial history to appreciate the tremendous power projection value carriers provide this Nation. All aspects of power projection planning and execution are in each carrier, some are forward deployed, ready and capable of immediate engagement on call of the National Command Authority. They are part of the strategic presence policy overseas: in place and ready to engage. Negotiations for forward basing are not required: the carrier is sovereign to the United States and operates in international waters. As you read this article, each forward deployed carrier has the capacity to bring the latest warfighting technology to bear on any opposition as required. Nine of the last 10 carriers to deploy conducted combat missions. Improvements in aircraft systems and precision guided munitions have greatly increased the number of target aim points which can be engaged each day by each carrier on station. Sortie generation, precision accuracy and lethality have all improved and continued progress is ongoing.

There is nothing in our national conventional arsenal to compare to the carrier. It is an American national asset that every foreign nation respects, whether they like to see it over their horizon or not.

President Theodore Roosevelt said to "walk softly and carry a big stick." Each carrier represents 90,000 tons of diplomacy and encompasses the most flexible and potent conventional power projection capability this nation has. Its value must never be underestimated or undervalued.

Copyright Association of Naval Aviation Fall 2000
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