[central_va]

You can disable an A/C Carrier with one or two torpedoes. But there are 3,000 guys trying to get the damage under control and back operational. If watertight doors are all shut it is almost impossible to sink one. The question is can air wing bingo to the beach while A/C gets back operational.

[Jim Noble]

If watertight doors are all shut it is almost impossible to sink one

Nonsense. One 100kT warhead within 1000 yards will do the job easily.

[Drew68]

You can disable an A/C Carrier with one or two torpedoes. But there are 3,000 guys trying to get the damage under control and back operational. If watertight doors are all shut it is almost impossible to sink one. The question is can air wing bingo to the beach while A/C gets back operational.

You don't need to sink a carrier to cripple it. You only need to destroy the flight deck. No DC team of 18-year old seamen will be repairing the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) of the Ford (not to mention the steam cats of Nimitz-class carriers).

Punch some big holes in the flight deck and the next stop is Newport News, VA, --for several months.

What good is an aircraft carrier that can't launch or land aircraft?