Three US carrier strike groups steam in formation in Pacific Ocean (Awesome photo)

AP via Yahoo! ^ | 6/19/06

[dead]

The USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Kitty Hawk and USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike
groups steam in formation during a joint photo exercise (PHOTOEX) in preparation
for Valiant Shield 2006 on Sunday, June 18, 2006, in the Pacific Ocean. The
PHOTOEX featured 14 ships as well as 17 aircraft from Air Force, Navy, and
Marine Corp including a B2 bomber. The Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group is
currently participating in Valiant Shield 2006, the largest joint exercise in recent
history. Held in the Guam operating area beginning June 19-23, the exercise
involves 28 Naval vessels including three carrier strike groups, more than 300
aircraft and more than 20,000 service members from the Navy, Air Force, Marine
Corps, and Coast Guard. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Jarod Hodge) Email Photo Print Photo

[Robert A Cook PE]

The advantage of the carrier task force(s) is that they Can move from an aimpoint to a miss point very very quickly.

Assume a max speed of 40 knots - and they can go quicker in an emergency. It takes about a half hour for a missile from NK to land in the southern/mid pacific Pacific area, so you'd get a half-hour warning, 2 minute message and transmit time, and be (more than) 20 nautical miles from the (previously assumed) aiming point - which would be about 10 miles in front of the photo-op position anyway - since the KN's would have to aim for a moving target.

Biggest problem would be finding out that the damned KN fire control and missile flight ops and missile recovery and ballistic re-entry calculations stunk and they accidentally missed the real target and landed on you as you tried to evade the original intended target position!

[DCPatriot]

If you right click on the photo above and select 'set as background', it should appear as your desktop background. Did for me.

Yeah...but that fighter jet behind the B1s on the right side...the last (4th) one is not in formation....it spoils the symmetry. ;^)

[Robert A Cook PE]

We did lose a bunch of MiG dogfights in both Korea and Vietnam before training (topgun and its brothers) started up.

[chiefqc]

UNDER THE WATER WHERE THEY CAN'T BE SEEN.

[El Gato]

Yea, 4 15s, 4 F-16s, a B-2, and 8 F/A-18s, plus all the aircraft on the decks of the three carriers, not to mention all the tomahawks in the launch cells of the other ships, could ruin someones entire life.

Although that wouldn't be long most likely.

[dagogo redux]

Was a sailor once back in the day. That photo brought back for me the indescribable beauty of the vastness of the ocean out at sea. Thanks for posting it.

[doorgunner69]

The unsinkable USS Andersen Field (Guam)

Yes, unsinkable, but very difficult to manuever if targeted.

[Southack]

Nonsense! She'll go just where you put her!

[Mat_Helm]

Great photo. The flight decks are all configured the same with two ready alert Hornets ready to launch from each flight deck. A paired off squadron of F-15's, F-16's, Marine F/A-18 C/D's, Super Hornets, and a B-2. Looking for snorkels from the fast attack subs underneath. Lots of power in that huddle waiting for the play to be called in.........and North Korea has elected to receive!

[dennisw]

I see what the tenacious pilots of Argentina were able to do to the Brits in the Falklands and it should make us think before oohing and ahhing.

From my amateur knowledge of that war:
Argentina ran out of Exocet missiles. Also the Exocet codes were acquired by the English from Mitterand and Exocets were thus sabotaged.

With enough effective Exocets the British would have lost

[Skooz]

The Argentines used Super Etendards to launch the Exocets.

If the Brits took out the planes, the Exocets would have been useless.

[Mr. Lucky]

More likely, the carriers are forming a screen to protect the true capital ships, the secretly re-activated Iowa Class Battleships.

[MD_Willington_1976]

This part of RIMPAC?

http://www.c3f.navy.mil/RIMPAC_2006/about_rimpac.htm

[hc87]

Assume a max speed of 40 knots - and they can go quicker in an emergency.

More like 30.5 or 31 knots for the carriers.

[1rudeboy]

bttt

[Robert A Cook PE]

No comment.

[dennisw]

Good article on modern warship vulnerability to Exocet and other anti ship missiles

http://www.watermagazine.com/rocket.htm

[Steve Van Doorn]

Japan doesn’t like N Korea firing their missiles over Japan and hitting Alaska. That is what this is about.

N Korea's new missile can hit the west cost of the US.

[AFreeBird]

Here's another view for your reminiscing.

Click photo to download larger version.

[zarf]

Pretty sobering stuff.

Technology is a wonderful thing, but against a capable enemy, it cuts both ways.