Today, in the 21st Century, naval warfare is multidimensional. The days of sea fighting being restricted to open battles between warships on the high seas are gone. The fleets of today fight on the sea, in the air above, and in the waters below. But combat aircraft remain dominant, they provide the ability to control the air-space – a vital factor in support of amphibious missions, regional conflicts and naval operations.
While the post-war years witnessed an initial reduction in western naval assets, the expansion of the Soviet Union and their seven Warsaw Pact satellite states forced politicians in Europe and the United States to focus on defence investment. On 3 December 1945, a jet powered twin boom aircraft called the Sea Vampire made the first ever ‘jet landing’ on a carrier, touching down on HMS Ocean. This innovative milestone delivered a strategic boost to the navy, highlighted potential future capability and inspired the wider development of maritime aviation. Aircraft carriers allow governments to have force strength ‘at readiness’ across the globe to react to national incidents. In the past two decades, carrier aircraft have supported operations in Bosnia, Sierra Leone, the Gulf, Iraq and even land locked Afghanistan where US Marine Harriers AV-8s flew direct from their floating base to mount combat air patrols.
In 2022, the US Navy continues to operate the largest carrier air groups. They deploy from 11 carriers as well as an additional two dozen flat-decked amphibious ships that can also operate the F-35B. These warships support a huge air wing of combat aircraft which are increasingly supported by unmanned aerial platforms. The Nimitz and Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers are the largest warships in the world, each designed for a 50-year service life with a capability to undergo a single (CVN 78) was delivered in 2017 as the force structure replacement for USS CVN 65. The US Navy carriers currently in service are CVN-68 USS CVN-69 USS CVN-70 USS CVN-71 USS CVN-72 USS CVN-73 USS CVN-74 USS , CVN-75 USS CVN-76 USS and CVN-77 USS
