Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Tonka
It seems as if you are viewing this happening on a huge open field or something.
I'm not really arguing either outcome, but you seem to have over simplified all of it.
I'm seeing a carrier group in the Caribbean, three in the atlantic, four in the pacific and one on the north side of Alaska to make sure those Canucks don't leave the back door open. That leaves one for search and destroy orders as well as 2 in reserve. With that scenario alone, you'd be hard pressed to enter US air space. Subs would be patrolling the same waters for troop transports as well as enemy subs. You think U-boats did damage in WWII... give the current class of US subs the same stage to perform on and see what happens. Do you really think that a ship of any decent size is going to make it past all that naval tonnage? Just imagine 71 submarines patrolling those waters. Add in their buddy ships, say.... 60 destroyers, 20 cruisers, nearly as many frigates, and oh yeah, don't forget about the 10 aircraft carriers...... Me thinks nary a fly will enter our air space let alone a large lumbering ship full of troops.
These other countries, without carriers, can't just fly their air force over here. Where are they going to land? They can't ALL refuel in air. You certainly can't reload in air. You think Mexico is going to provide a base of operations for them to land, fuel and reload? You don't think the gulf carrier group won't take that out in a matter of hours, likely without a single manned aircraft? You think they could actually reach Mexico to even try and set up a base of operations?
Again, i'm not arguing for either outcome but I understand that the above sounds a bit biased. Those are just the facts, so in my slightly educated opinion, i think we'd do pretty well holding our own. The power wielded by a single carrier group out matches nearly any armed force in the world.
Notice that we haven't even involved the Air Force yet. This would be one war where the Navy and AF gets to talk trash to the Marines and Army for doing all the work.
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Just a small correction. The US currently has 8 active carriers.
Enterprise has been inactivated(and won't be sitting in reserve like Kitty Hawk is) and the Lincoln is going under a 3 year overhaul and refueling process.
The number will be back to 9-10(depending when the Washington will be going under its overhaul and refueling process) in 2016 when the Lincoln will be back in the fleet and the Ford will be commissioned.