Aircraft Carriers: Superpowers Projecting Power at Sea

Despite the rise of drones and their high cost, aircraft carriers remain important for projecting power and exercising diplomacy, especially in the growing competition between China and the US.

US President Donald Trump had ordered the USS Gerald R Ford (costing $12.8 billion) to sail to Venezuela to intimidate the Nicolás Maduro regime. Meanwhile, China commissioned the Fujian, its first aircraft carrier, in 2012, built from a Soviet-era hull.

Beijing considers aircraft carriers an integral element for projecting power globally, due to their flexibility in potential conflict scenarios, such as an attempt to forcibly 'reunify' with Taiwan. The United Kingdom has two aircraft carriers worth £6.2 billion, which it uses for 'floating diplomacy'.

Although Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked the USS Harry S Truman with drones, aircraft carriers are designed to be difficult to sink. Russia has not had a functional aircraft carrier since 2017, and the failure to modernize the Admiral Kuznetsov is indicative of weaknesses.