New Chinese Missile Can Destroy US Supercarrier in One Go • Hacker News Board

Re: New Chinese Missile Can Destroy US Supercarrier in One Go

#11

Post by davatk » Tue, Apr 07, 2009, 12:28 AM UTC

stcredzero wrote: post #10

Semiapies wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Going by historical policy, we'd have the carrier group in the waters beforehand if there was any sign of impending hostility. An attack on the carrier would probably result in retaliation against military targets. That wouldn't need to be nuclear. We still have rather a few submarines for use against capital ships, invasion ships, etc. If they can do it, we can: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-492804/The-uni…

Is there anything -- besides looking badass -- that carriers do that couldn't be done by a swarm of submarines or stealthed high-speed catamarans equipped with cruise missiles, SAM, and drones?

Support air to air combat?

Re: New Chinese Missile Can Destroy US Supercarrier in One Go

#12

Post by stcredzero » Tue, Apr 07, 2009, 2:40 AM UTC

davatk wrote: post #11

stcredzero wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there anything -- besides looking badass -- that carriers do that couldn't be done by a swarm of submarines or stealthed high-speed catamarans equipped with cruise missiles, SAM, and drones?

Support air to air combat?

If you have enough SAMs, why do you need air to air? Also, if your SAM launchers are stealthed and mobile at high speed, they aren't going to be so easy to take out.

Re: New Chinese Missile Can Destroy US Supercarrier in One Go

#13

Post by Semiapies » Tue, Apr 07, 2009, 6:25 PM UTC

stcredzero wrote: post #10

Semiapies wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Going by historical policy, we'd have the carrier group in the waters beforehand if there was any sign of impending hostility. An attack on the carrier would probably result in retaliation against military targets. That wouldn't need to be nuclear. We still have rather a few submarines for use against capital ships, invasion ships, etc. If they can do it, we can: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-492804/The-uni…

Is there anything -- besides looking badass -- that carriers do that couldn't be done by a swarm of submarines or stealthed high-speed catamarans equipped with cruise missiles, SAM, and drones?

Support AWACS, drop Marines in somewhere by helicopter, support midair refueling for bombers that can drop bigger bombs than a catamaran-launched cruise missile can.

Also, spreading out thousands of crewmembers on a swarm of small surface craft would be much more of a logistics challenge for supply than a smaller number of bigger craft (as in a carrier group).