Drones and missiles mean Navy aircraft carriers are in deep trouble

What Weapons Could Target an Aircraft Carrier?

Designed to prevent U.S. intervention in regional conflicts, China’s DF-21 missile remains a crucial component of the PLA’s A2/AD capabilities. This weapon was introduced in the 1990s as a successor to the Dong Feng-2.

Beijing likely possesses more than 1,000 of these medium-range missiles today, according to a recently released Pentagon report. Since the devices can target maritime threats with precision and might be able to reach U.S. aircraft carriers 1,000 miles offshore, they pose a significant challenge to U.S. naval dominance in the Western Pacific.

The DF-21 uses a solid propellant and fires from a Transporter-Erector-Launcher vehicle, making the weapon portable and quick to launch. As the threat arena in war constantly changes, the DF-21’s ability to launch from various environments is an important asset.

Beijing has vowed to take control of Taiwan in the near future, and if China goes to war to conquer the island nation, the DF-21 and other A2/AD weapons could be used to prevent enemy warships from entering the East or South China Seas.

The Navy’s carrier-based fighters – the F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-35 Lightning II – have limited ranges, but a U.S. carrier would have to be positioned more than 1,000 miles offshore in order to avoid being put at risk by the DF-21. If one of these weapons were launched, it could also be deployed with maritime intelligence capabilities, over-the-horizon radars, and other threat amplifiers.

A 2020 Congressional Research Service report detailed the increasing threat these ballistic missiles present to U.S. interests in the South China Sea, warning that “China’s navy is viewed as posing a major challenge to the U.S. Navy’s ability to achieve and maintain wartime control of blue-water ocean areas in the Western Pacific – the first such challenge the U.S. Navy has faced since the end of the Cold War.”

In recent years, both China and Russia have developed initial versions of hypersonic weapons that are capable of traveling faster than Mach 5.0. These missiles are also designed to make unexpected changes in flight after they are launched, potentially putting U.S. carriers at risk. Russia’s Kinzhal ballistic missile has an estimated range of at least 300 miles and a reported maximum speed of Mach 10.

The Zircon missile also being developed in Russia is reportedly capable of striking both ground and naval targets. China’s own hypersonic missile arsenal includes the DF-17 medium-range ballistic missile, which is paired with a hypersonic glide vehicle that has a range of roughly 1,600 kilometers. The DF-14 intercontinental ballistic missile also carries a hypersonic glide vehicle. If a war breaks out in the South China Sea, the PLA could use hypersonic missiles to more than double its range, posing a severe threat to U.S. carriers.

There are also cheaper options that could take out a carrier. Swarm drones threaten all warships at sea, even the most advanced ones.

While it is highly improbable that a few dozen or even 100-plus lethal drones could evade a Nimitz-class or Ford-class carrier’s ample missile defense systems, new technologies might change the equation down the line.

Despite these potential threats, the U.S. carrier is still the greatest weapon the Navy possesses. The service is already shifting its strategy to be able to better contend with and prepare for the growing threat of anti-ship capabilities.