In the 2023 special program "Weapons", in the second episode of "Maritime Supremacy" - the battle of aircraft carriers, the two guests Fang Bing and Zhou Weizheng analyzed the aircraft carrier strategy of the United States and the United Kingdom. The United States has always regarded aircraft carriers as a maritime hegemon and plays an important role in global strategy. The U.S. dual aircraft carrier gathering in the Middle East is intended to deter Middle Eastern countries, but the facts show that the U.S. aircraft carrier strategy has not worked. Britain, on the other hand, is trying to relive the old dream of "the sun never sets" and show its strength with the aircraft carrier "Queen Elizabeth". What role do aircraft carriers play in today's world landscape?What are the similarities and differences between the aircraft carrier strategies of the United States and the United Kingdom?When a major event occurs around the world, the first thing the United States asks about is the statement that "our aircraft carrier is in", which reflects the extreme dependence of the United States on aircraft carriers. The United States has gathered two aircraft carriers in the Middle East in an attempt to deter Middle Eastern countries through aircraft carrier strength, but the actual situation shows that the United States' aircraft carrier strategy in the Middle East has not achieved the expected results. In contrast, Britain is trying to show its strength with the aircraft carrier "Queen Elizabeth" and relive the old dream of "the sun never sets". American strategists believe that aircraft carriers are a symbol of the status of the world's naval forces, as well as an important symbol of the country's comprehensive strength and maritime strategic status.
The United States has always regarded aircraft carriers as a traditional "maritime hegemon" that plays an extremely important role in both war and peacetime. Especially during the Crimean crisis in 2014, the United States concentrated two aircraft carriers off the coast of Syria to exert military pressure, and one United States ** even called this "200,000 tons of diplomacy", highlighting the key position of aircraft carriers in the global strategy of the United States. The strength of American aircraft carriers is in the spotlight around the world. According to reports, on 3 November local time, the US military released a photo of the USS Eisenhower and the USS Ford in the eastern Mediterranean. This move has aroused widespread attention, and the outside world has speculated about the purpose of the US move. However, the facts show that the US aircraft carrier strategy has not worked. After the resumption of war in the Middle East, the United States two aircraft carriers gathered in the Mediterranean Sea in an attempt to deter anti-Israel and anti-American countries in the Middle East, but the United States' "calculation" did not start. The joint fleet launched by the navies of many countries, as well as the move of Iranian drones flying over the deck of US aircraft carriers, ordering US carrier-based aircraft not to take off, have shown the outside world the passivity and embarrassment facing the US aircraft carrier strategy. At the same time, Britain tried to demonstrate its strength with the aircraft carrier "Queen Elizabeth".
Britain has always cherished the desire to relive the dream of "the sun never sets", and the aircraft carrier, as a symbol of naval power, is precisely the best platform for Britain to show its strength. The aircraft carrier strategy is not only a military strategy, but also a manifestation of a country's comprehensive strength and maritime strategic position. The United States regards aircraft carriers as maritime hegemons and tries to influence the global landscape through the strength of aircraft carriers, while Britain tries to relive its former glory through aircraft carriers. What role do aircraft carriers play in today's world landscape?What are the similarities and differences between the aircraft carrier strategies of the United States and the United Kingdom?These questions deserve our in-depth consideration and **. The British aircraft carrier made another storm: what is the intention behind it?Recently, there was information that Britain will keep an aircraft carrier strike group in the North Atlantic, while sending another to Asia, and plans to visit Japan in 2025. This move has attracted widespread attention. So, what is Britain's intentions?It is understood that this is actually a strategic move by the United Kingdom all along, that is, to maintain close cooperation with the United States in order to maintain its influence in the world. In the past two years, Britain has cooperated with the United States, NATO and other countries to send the "Queen Elizabeth" aircraft carrier group to the Asia-Pacific region. Although the UK is not an Asia-Pacific country, it strives to participate and reap the benefits.
However, it remains to be seen whether the UK is strong enough to support this strategy. The British aircraft carrier "Queen Elizabeth" is currently in short supply of spare parts, and even needs to disassemble existing parts from the "Prince of Wales" for maintenance. This also triggered ridicule from some military fans, saying that the "Prince of Wales" has been reduced to an "organ provider" for the "Queen Elizabeth". It can be seen that large aircraft carriers are not easily controlled by all countries. The British are also well aware of this. So, will the reappearance of British aircraft carriers revive the once glorious imperial dream of "the sun never sets"?Historically, Britain has built an "empire on which the sun never sets" through its navy, but after World War I and World War II, the strength of the British Navy gradually declined. Old aircraft carriers were either scrapped or sold at a low price**. However, Britain has not completely abandoned the construction of aircraft carriers, and now it has finally built two large "Queen Elizabeth" class aircraft carriers. However, both aircraft carriers have experienced extensive water leaks, and the "Prince of Wales" broke down due to a power system failure during its first voyage. This shows that there are deep-seated problems in both the equipment condition and the quality of personnel of British aircraft carriers, and it is difficult to form real combat effectiveness in the short term.
To describe the British aircraft carrier in four words is probably "embarrassing and useful". In addition, the maintenance of the Russian aircraft carrier "Kuznetsov" has attracted much attention. A photo on social media shows a large area of rust on the deck of the aircraft carrier, which is the case after the return to the factory for overhaul and upgrade in 2017. To sum up, the reappearance of the British aircraft carrier in front of the world has raised concerns about the strength of the British Navy and its international strategic intentions. The equipment status and maintenance of the aircraft carrier have also become a controversial topic. In the future, there are still many questions to be answered about how British aircraft carriers will affect the global landscape. How exactly can the Russian Navy's aircraft carrier dream continue?Fang Bing said that Russia plans to let the "Kuznetsov" aircraft carrier conduct sea trials in 2024 and deliver it to the Russian Navy in 2025. However, it is a matter of concern whether Russia's current shipbuilding capacity is sufficient to support this program. The construction of aircraft carriers requires the support of the national strength of major countries, and in 2017, when the "Kuznetsov" aircraft carrier returned to the factory for overhaul, a series of problems have been highlighted, including the inability to find a large dock that can accommodate the aircraft carrier in Russia. At the same time, India also has its own aircraft carrier dream.
According to reports, the Indian Navy already has two aircraft carriers and is in service, and now there is news that a third aircraft carrier will be built. Expert Zhou Weizheng pointed out that India hopes that the new aircraft carrier will have a significant increase in performance, including increasing the displacement to 650,000 tons, upgrade the power system and introduce advanced carrier-based aircraft. The move is aimed at meeting the country's strategic needs to strengthen its control over the Indian Ocean and other distant-water waters, as well as to gain more international voice and international recognition of India's status as a great power. China has also made progress in the field of aircraft carrier construction, with a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense confirming at a regular press conference that China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, is undergoing mooring tests. Expert Fang Bing said that at present, the most concerned is no longer the power system or equipment of the aircraft carrier itself, but the test of the catapult. The Fujian will be equipped with a new type of catapult-type carrier-based aircraft, which is a highly anticipated progress. With the continuous development of aircraft carrier construction in various countries, the future aircraft carrier may become the standard configuration of the "three major parts", that is, it has an advanced power system, powerful equipment and an efficient catapult. To realize the ambition of aircraft carriers, all countries need to continuously improve their technical strength and national support.
In the changing international landscape, aircraft carrier forces will continue to play an important role as a key component of maritime strategy. What is the direction of the future development of aircraft carriers?With the continuous development of long-range missile technology, does aircraft carriers still have important significance in modern warfare?The recent news about Iran's refitted cargo ships carrying drones has sparked heated discussions, and will this simplified version of the drone carrier become the mainstream development direction in the future?From a practical point of view, although the development of aircraft carriers has been controversial, many powerful countries are sparing no effort to promote the development of aircraft carrier technology. Even Iran is building a simplified version of its drone carrier by modifying cargo ships to carry drones, which seems to indicate that aircraft carriers will still play an important role in modern warfare. In the face of escalating threats, aircraft carriers will also make corresponding improvements to ensure their own combat and defensive capabilities. In the future, the development trend of mainstream aircraft carriers will pay more attention to improving power, combat radius and their own defense capabilities. Nuclear-powered, electromagnetic catapult and carrier-based fighters are considered to be the standard configuration of future aircraft carriers, and aircraft carriers will also be equipped with more intelligent UAVs to expand the range of reconnaissance and firepower strikes of aircraft carriers.
In addition, in order to effectively deal with the threat of long-range missile attacks, the future aircraft carrier will also build a more advanced air defense and anti-missile system, so that its defense circle will be stronger and more difficult to break through. In general, aircraft carriers will still play a key role in future wars, but with the continuous development of technology and the continuous escalation of threats, aircraft carriers also need to constantly upgrade and improve their technology to meet the needs of modern warfare. Future aircraft carriers will be more advanced and intelligent, and will become an important weapon for naval operations, with more powerful combat capabilities and survivability. Therefore, aircraft carriers will always play an indispensable role, whether in the fight against long-range threats or in achieving strategic deployment at sea. As a representative of maritime power, it will continue to maintain its important position in modern warfare.