Are 12 Navy Aircraft Carriers Enough to Stop a Rising China?
It is evident that the PLA Navy wishes to expand its role beyond regional power projection to distant seas where Beijing seeks to become the dominant global power.
by Kris Osborn
For years, the question of how many aircraft carriers the U.S. Navy needs has been reverberating throughout the Pentagon, Congress, and the White House as the Navy seeks to best meet demands and respond to threats in an increasingly dangerous and fast-changing threat environment.
Nothing in the world can project power like a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, which brings the ability to launch massive offensive strikes from waters offshore, holding targets and enemies at risk. This proven reality explains why the mere forward presence of a carrier can have a “calming” type of deterrent effect. At times, the Navy and Pentagon’s leaders have called for eleven carriers, and have most recently asked for twelve. However, the U.S. Navy now only operates ten aircraft carriers, so it makes sense that the Navy’s newly released “Chief of Naval Operations Navigation Plan 2022” has called for twelve aircraft carriers as the Navy moves into the future.
“Nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, which will remain the most survivable and versatile airfields in the world, provide long-range, persistent sea control, power projection, and organic sensing in contested seas, as well as flexible options across the spectrum of conflict,” the text of the plan states.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/are-12-navy-aircraft-carriers-enough-stop-rising-china-204396
