Type of naval fleet with an aircraft carrier
The
USS
Abraham Lincoln
carrier battle group during the 2000
RIMPAC
exercise
A
carrier battle group
(
CVBG
) is a
naval fleet
consisting of an
aircraft carrier
capital ship
and its large number of
escorts
, together defining the group. The
CV
in
CVBG
(Cruiser
Voler
) is the
United States Navy hull classification code for an aircraft carrier
.
The first naval
task forces
built around carriers appeared just prior to and during
World War II
. The
Imperial Japanese Navy
(IJN) was the first to assemble many carriers into a single task force, known as the
Kido Butai
. This task force was used with devastating effect in the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
. The Kido Butai operated as the IJN's main carrier battle group until four of its carriers were sunk at the
Battle of Midway
. In contrast, the
United States Navy
deployed its large carriers in separate formations, with each carrier assigned its own
cruiser
and
destroyer
escorts. These single-carrier formations would often be paired or grouped together for certain assignments, most notably the
Battle of the Coral Sea
and Midway. By 1943, however, large numbers of fleet and light carriers became available, which required larger formations of three or four carriers. These groups eventually formed the
Fast Carrier Task Force
, which became the primary battle unit of the
U.S. Third
and
Fifth Fleets
.
With the construction of the large "
supercarriers
" of the
Cold War era
, the practice of operating each carrier in a single formation was revived. During the Cold War, the main role of the CVBG in case of conflict with the
Soviet Union
would have been to protect
Atlantic
supply routes between the United States and its
NATO
allies in Europe, while the role of the
Soviet Navy
would have been to interrupt these sea lanes, a fundamentally easier task. Because the Soviet Union had no large carriers of its own, a situation of dueling aircraft carriers would have been unlikely. However, a primary mission of the Soviet Navy's
attack submarines
was to track every allied battle group and, on the outbreak of hostilities, sink the carriers. Understanding this threat, the CVBG expended enormous resources in its own
anti-submarine warfare
mission.
Carrier battle groups in crises
[
edit
]
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, most uses of carrier battle groups by the United States as well as that of other Western nations have been in situations where their use has been uncontested by other comparable forces. During the Cold War, an important battle scenario was an attack against a CVBG using numerous
antiship missiles
.
1956 Suez Crisis
[
edit
]
British and French carrier battle groups were involved in the
1956 Suez Crisis
.
1971 Indo-Pakistan war
[
edit
]
During the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
, India used its carrier strike group centered on
INS
Vikrant
to impose a naval blockade on East Pakistan. Air strikes were carried out initially on shipping in the harbors of
Chittagong
and
Cox's Bazar
, sinking or incapacitating most ships there. Further strikes were carried out on Cox's Bazar from 60 nautical miles (110 km) offshore. On the evening of 4 December, the air group again struck Chittagong harbor. Later strikes targeted
Khulna
and the
Port of Mongla
. Air strikes continued until 10 December 1971.
1982 Falklands War
[
edit
]
The first attempted use of anti-ship missiles against a carrier battle group was part of
Argentina
's efforts against British armed forces during the
Falklands War
. This was the last conflict so far in which opposing belligerents employed aircraft carriers, although Argentina made little use of its sole carrier,
ARA
Veinticinco de Mayo
, which was originally built in the United Kingdom as HMS
Venerable
and later served with the
Royal Netherlands Navy
(1948?1968).
Lebanon
[
edit
]
The
United States Sixth Fleet
assembled a force of three carrier battle groups and a
battleship
during the
Lebanese Civil War
in 1983. Daily reconnaissance flights were flown over the
Bekaa Valley
and a strike was flown against targets in the area resulting in loss of an
A-6 Intruder
and an
A-7 Corsair
.
Gulf of Sidra
[
edit
]
Carrier battle groups routinely operated in the
Gulf of Sidra
inside the "
Line of Death
" proclaimed by
Libya
resulting in aerial engagements in 1981, 1986 and 1989 between U.S. Navy Tomcats and Libyan
Su-22
aircraft,
SA-5
surface-to-air missiles and
MiG-23
fighters. During the 1986 clashes, three carrier battle groups deployed to the Gulf of Sidra and ultimately two of them conducted strikes against Libya in
Operation El Dorado Canyon
.
2011 military intervention in Libya
[
edit
]
During the
international military intervention
in the
2011 Libyan civil war
, the
French Navy
deployed its aircraft carrier,
Charles de Gaulle
, off
Libya
. The
Charles de Gaulle
was accompanied by several frigates as
Forbin
,
Dupleix
,
Aconit
, the replenishment tanker
Meuse
and two
Rubis
-class
nuclear attack submarines.
[1]
Applications
[
edit
]
China
[
edit
]
China plans to set up
several carrier battle groups in the future
. At present China's two aircraft carriers, the
Liaoning
and
Shandong
, use
Type 055
destroyers for
area air defence
with
anti-submarine warfare
,
Type 052C
or
Type 052D
destroyers for
air defense
,
Type 054A
frigates for
anti-submarine
and
anti-ship warfare
, 1?2
Type 093
nuclear attack submarines
, and 1
Type 901
supply ship. China is currently building a
third carrier
, as well as a
nuclear-powered fourth carrier
planned for construction
[2]
and expected to be completed by the late 2020s.
[3]
China is also building a new larger class of air defense destroyers, the
Type 055
.
[4]
France
[
edit
]
The only serving French carrier is the
Charles de Gaulle
, which also serves as the flagship of the Marine Nationale. The carrier battle group of the
Force d'Action Navale
is known as the
Groupe Aeronaval
(GAN) and is usually composed, in addition to the aircraft carrier, of:
This group is commanded by a rear admiral (
contre-amiral
, in French) on board the aircraft carrier. The commanding officer of the air group (usually a
capitaine de fregate
?equivalent to commander) is subordinate to the commanding officer of the aircraft carrier, a senior captain. The escort destroyers (called frigates in the French denomination) are commanded by more junior captains.
France also operates three
Mistral
-class
amphibious assault ships. While incapable of operating fixed-winged aircraft, they function as helicopter carriers and form the backbone of France's amphibious force. These ships are typically escorted by the same escorts the
Charles De Gaulle
uses.
India
[
edit
]
A flotilla from the Indian Navy's
Western Fleet
escorts the aircraft carriers
INS
Viraat
and
INS
Vikramaditya
through the Arabian Sea in 2014.
Indian Navy has operated all types of aircraft carriers including
CATOBAR
configured
Vikrant
,
STOVL
configured
Viraat
and
STOBAR
configured
Vikramaditya
and
Vikrant (2013)
and CBGs centered on it. The
Indian Navy
has been operating carrier battle groups since 1961, with its first carrier battle group formed around the now decommissioned
INS
Vikrant
.
[5]
INS
Viraat
was an updated
Centaur
-class light carrier originally built for the Royal Navy as
HMS
Hermes
, which was laid down in 1944 and commissioned in 1959. It was purchased by India in May 1987, and was decommissioned in March 2017. India commissioned
INS
Vikramaditya
in 2013 followed by the new
INS
Vikrant
in 2022.
[6]
INS
Vikramaditya
is the modified
Kiev
-class
aircraft carrier
Admiral Gorshkov
, INS
Vikrant
is the first indigenous aircraft carrier built in India. India plans to have three carrier battle groups by 2035, each centered on
Vikrant
,
Vikramaditya
and
Vishal
, another planned carrier.
[7]
[8]
As of 2023, the Indian Navy operates two carrier battle groups centered on INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant.
The Indian Navy's carrier battle group centered on
Viraat
consisted of two destroyers, usually of the
Delhi
class
(previously
Rajput
s
were used), two or more frigates, usually of the
Brahmaputra
,
Godavari
or
Nilgiri
classes, and one support ship.
[9]
The navy's new carrier battle group centered on
Vikramaditya and Vikrant
consists of the modern
Kolkata
class
guided missile destroyers,
Shivalik
and
Talwar
-class guided missile frigates,
Kamorta
-class
anti-submarine warfare
corvettes and
new tankers
.
[9]
[10]
INS
Chakra
is expected to fill the sub-surface component.
Italy
[
edit
]
The CVS?ASW (Aircraft Carrier with Anti-Submarine Warfare)
Italian aircraft carrier
Giuseppe Garibaldi
is Italy's first carrier. The battle group based in Taranto called COMFORAL is formed by the carrier
Giuseppe Garibaldi
, two
Durand de la Penne
-class
destroyers
, two support ships
Etna
and
Elettra
, and three amphibious/support ships (
San Giusto
,
San Marco
and
San Giorgio
).
After 2010, the Italian battle group will be formed by the new
Italian aircraft carrier
Cavour
, 5?6 new warships (including destroyers
Horizon
and frigates FREMM),
[11]
one new support ship, some minehunters and new submarines (the COMFORAL will be a reserve group).
[12]
Russia
[
edit
]
Admiral Kuznetsov
has been observed sailing together with a
Kirov
-class
battlecruiser (CBGN),
Slava
-class
cruiser
(CG),
Sovremenny
-class
destroyer (ASuW),
Udaloy
-class
destroyer (ASW) and
Krivak
I/II FFG (ASW)
. These escorts, especially the heavily armed
Kirov
-class battlecruiser, use advanced sensors and carry a variety of weaponry. During
Admiral Kuznetsov
'
s deployment to
Syria
in November 2016 on her first combat tour, the carrier was escorted by a pair of
Udaloy-class destroyers
and a
Kirov-class battlecruiser
en route, while additional Russian Navy warships met her off Syria.
Admiral Kuznetsov
is designed specifically to sail alone and carries greater firepower than her U.S. counterparts. This includes 12x
SS-N-19 'Shipwreck'
(long range, high speed,
sea-skimming
) SSMs, 24x VLS units loaded with 192
SA-N-9 'Gauntlet' SAMs
, and 8x Kashtan CIWS with dual 30 mm guns, and 8x AK-630 CIWS. Compared to the 4x Phalanx CIWS and 4x Sea Sparrow launchers, each with 8 missiles carried by the
Nimitz
-class,
Admiral Kuznetsov
is well armed for both air-defence and offensive operations against hostile shipping.
United Kingdom
[
edit
]
HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)
and her
Carrier Strike Group
during Exercise Westlant 19.
As one of the pioneers of aircraft carriers, the Royal Navy has maintained a carrier strike capability since the commissioning of
HMS
Argus
(I49)
in 1918.
[13]
[14]
However, the capability was temporarily lost between 2010 and 2018, following the retirement of the
Invincible
-class aircraft carrier
and
Harrier GR9s
.
[15]
During this period, the Royal Navy worked to regenerate its carrier strike capability based on the Carrier-Enabled Power Projection (CEPP) concept by ordering two
Queen Elizabeth
-class aircraft carriers
and the
F-35B Lightning
to operate from them.
[16]
To maintain its skills and experience, the Royal Navy embedded personnel and ships with partner navies, in particular the
United States Navy
.
[17]
In 2017, the first
Queen Elizabeth
-class aircraft carrier
HMS
Queen Elizabeth
entered service followed by her sister ship
HMS
Prince of Wales
in 2019. The first carrier strike group took to sea in September 2019 as part of an exercise known as
Westlant 19
. HMS
Queen Elizabeth
and her air group of F-35B Lightning jets operated alongside two surface escorts and a fleet tanker off the east coast of the United States.
[18]
[19]
The deployment was in preparation for the first operational deployment in 2021, which is expected to involve HMS
Queen Elizabeth
alongside four Royal Navy escorts, two support ships and a submarine.
[20]
Under current plans, a Royal Navy carrier strike group will typically comprise a
Queen Elizabeth
-class aircraft carrier, two air defence destroyers, two anti-submarine frigates, a submarine, solid stores ship and a fleet tanker, however the composition varies depending on the operational tasking. While
Queen Elizabeth'
s initial deployment will be as part of an all-British carrier group, it is envisaged in the longer term that the UK's carriers will usually form the centre of a multi-national operation ? in 2018, it was announced that the British and Dutch governments had come to an agreement that would see escort vessels of the
Royal Netherlands Navy
operating as part of the UK Carrier Strike Group.
[21]
Command of the UK carrier strike group is the responsibility of
Commander United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group
. A June 2020
National Audit Office
report however provided a critical review of the forthcoming Carrier Strike Group, especially noting the delay to the Crowsnest system.
[22]
United States
[
edit
]
Carrier strike group
[
edit
]
USS
George Washington
Carrier Strike Group
sails in formation for a strike group photo in the
Caribbean Sea
29 April 2006. Such a formation, referred to derisively as the "bullseye" formation, would not be used in combat.
In
modern United States Navy carrier air operations
, a
carrier strike group
(CSG) normally consists of 1 aircraft carrier, 1
guided missile cruiser
(for air defense), 2
LAMPS
-
capable
warships (focusing on anti-submarine and surface warfare), and 1?2 anti-submarine
destroyers
or
frigates
.
[23]
The large number of CSGs used by the United States reflects, in part, a division of roles and missions allotted during the Cold War, in which the United States assumed primary responsibility for
blue-water
operations and for safeguarding supply lines between the United States and Europe, while the
NATO
allies assumed responsibility for less costly
brown
- and
green-water
operations. The CSG has replaced the old term of carrier battle group (CVBG or CARBATGRU).
[
when?
]
The US Navy maintains 11 carrier strike groups,
[
timeframe?
]
9 of which are based in the United States and
one
that is forward deployed in
Yokosuka
, Japan.
Expeditionary strike group
[
edit
]
An
expeditionary strike group
is composed of an
amphibious assault ship
(
LHA
/
LHD
), a
dock landing ship
(LSD), an
amphibious transport dock
(LPD), a
Marine expeditionary unit
,
AV-8B Harrier II
or, more recently
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II
aircraft,
CH-53E Super Stallion
and
CH-46E Sea Knight
helicopters or, more recently,
MV-22B
tiltrotors. Cruisers, destroyers and attack submarines are deployed with either an Expeditionary Strike Group or a Carrier Strike Group.
Battleship battle group
[
edit
]
During the period when the American navy recommissioned all four of its
Iowa
-class
battleships
, it sometimes used a similar formation centered on a
battleship
, referred to as a battleship battle group. It was alternately referred to as a surface action group.
The battleship battle group typically consisted of one modernized
battleship
, one
Ticonderoga
-class
cruiser
, one
Kidd
-class
destroyer
or
Arleigh Burke
-class
destroyer, one
Spruance
-class
destroyer, three
Oliver Hazard Perry
-class
frigates
and one
auxiliary ship
such as a
replenishment oiler
.
[24]
Surface action group
[
edit
]
A surface action group is "a temporary or standing organization of combatant ships, other than carriers, tailored for a specific tactical mission".
[25]
Underway replenishment
[
edit
]
Since its origins, the viability of the carrier battle group has been dependent on its ability to remain at sea for extended periods. Specialized ships were developed to provide underway replenishment of fuel (for the carrier and its aircraft), ordnance, and other supplies necessary to sustain operations. Carrier battle groups devote a great deal of planning to efficiently conduct
underway replenishment
to minimize the time spent conducting replenishment. The carrier can also provide replenishment on a limited basis to its escorts, but typically a replenishment ship such as a
fast combat support ship
(AOE) or
replenishment oiler
(AOR) pulls alongside a carrier and conducts simultaneous operations with the carrier on its port side and one of the escorts on its starboard side. The advent of the helicopter provides the ability to speed replenishment by lifting supplies at the same time that fueling hoses and lines are delivering other goods.
Debate on future viability
[
edit
]
There is debate in naval warfare circles as to the viability of carrier battle groups in 21st century naval warfare. Proponents of the CVBG argue that it provides unmatched firepower and force projection capabilities. Opponents argue that CVBGs are increasingly vulnerable to
arsenal ships
and
cruise missiles
, especially those with
supersonic
or even hypersonic flight
[26]
and the ability to perform radical trajectory changes to avoid anti-missile systems. It is also noted that CVBGs were designed for Cold War scenarios, and are less useful in establishing control of areas close to shore. It is argued however that such missiles and arsenal ships pose no serious threat as they would be eliminated due to increasing improvement in ship defenses such as
Cooperative Engagement Capability
(CEC), DEW technology and missile technology.
Additionally, carrier battle groups proved to be vulnerable to
diesel-electric submarines
owned by many smaller
naval forces
. Examples are the German
U24
of the conventional
206 class
which in 2001 "sank"
USS
Enterprise
during the exercise JTFEX 01-2 in the
Caribbean Sea
by firing
flares
and taking a photograph through its
periscope
[27]
or the Swedish
Gotland
which managed the same feat in 2006 during JTFEX 06-2 by penetrating the defensive measures of
Carrier Strike Group 7
undetected and snap several pictures of
USS
Ronald Reagan
.
[28]
However, carriers have been called upon to be first responders even when conventional land-based aircraft were employed. During Desert Shield, the U.S. Navy sortied additional carriers to augment the on-station assets, eventually maintaining six carriers for
Desert Storm
. Although the U.S. Air Force sent fighters such as the
F-16
to theater in Desert Shield, they had to carry bombs with them as no stores were in place for sustained operations, whereas the carriers arrived on scene with full magazines and had support ships to allow them to conduct strikes indefinitely.
The
Global War on Terror
has shown the flexibility and responsiveness of the carrier on multiple occasions when land-based air was not feasible or able to respond in a timely fashion. After the
11 September terrorist attacks
on the U.S., carriers immediately headed to the Arabian Sea to support
Operation Enduring Freedom
and took up station, building to a force of three carriers. Their steaming location was closer to the targets in Afghanistan than any land-based assets and thereby more responsive. The
USS
Kitty Hawk
was adapted to be a support base for
special operations
helicopters. Carriers were used again in
Operation Iraqi Freedom
and even provided aircraft to be based ashore on occasion and have done so periodically when special capabilities are needed. This precedent was established during
World War II
in the
Battle of Guadalcanal
.
Regardless of the debate over viability, the United States has made a major investment in the development of a new carrier class?the
Gerald R. Ford
-class
aircraft carriers
(formerly designated CVN-X, or the X Carrier)?to replace the existing
Nimitz
-class
aircraft carriers
. The new
Ford
-class carriers are designed to be modular and are easily adaptable as technology and equipment needed on board changes.
[29]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Defense News
[
dead link
]
- ^
Seidel, Jamie (23 April 2018).
"Here's what we know about China's newest aircraft carriers"
.
news.com.au
. Retrieved
19 June
2018
.
- ^
Tunningley, James (2 June 2017).
"What China's Aircraft Carrier Means for its Naval Defence Capabilities"
.
globalriskinsights.com
.
- ^
Rahmat, Ridzwan (29 June 2017).
"China launches largest surface combatant to date"
.
Janes
. Archived from
the original
on 1 July 2017
. Retrieved
2 July
2017
.
- ^
"INS Vikramaditya will create waves for India"
.
Hindustan Times
. 9 January 2014. Archived from
the original
on 9 January 2014
. Retrieved
9 January
2014
.
- ^
Peri, Dinakar (19 January 2018).
"Cochin Shipyard undocks INS Vikrant"
.
The Hindu
.
- ^
"News18.com: CNN News18 Latest News, Breaking News India, Current News Headlines"
.
News18
. Archived from
the original
on 6 December 2011
. Retrieved
27 August
2017
.
- ^
"Carrier battle groups will add muscle to Navy power"
. Archived from
the original
on 25 October 2012.
- ^
a
b
"Navy's modern dreams set sail"
.
India Today
. 4 December 2013
. Retrieved
5 December
2013
.
- ^
"India to Induct Indigenous Anti-sub Corvette Soon"
.
The New Indian Express
. 5 July 2014. Archived from
the original
on 9 July 2014
. Retrieved
5 July
2014
.
- ^
"Marina Militare"
.
www.marina.difesa.it
(in Italian)
. Retrieved
3 February
2023
.
- ^
"New ships of the Italian battle group (in Italian)"
(PDF)
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 4 March 2016
. Retrieved
27 August
2017
.
- ^
Jane's Naval Airpower: The Complete History
. Collins-Janes. 1 September 2003.
ISBN
9780007111527
.
The Royal Navy pioneered the use of aircraft carriers during World War I, but famously lost Prince of Wales and Repulse to land based Japanese bombers in 1941.
- ^
"Aircraft carrier: A mind-boggling building job"
. BBC News. 7 April 2011.
The Royal Navy pioneered carriers, explains Hewitt, head of attractions and collections at the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust.
- ^
"Britain moves to restore carrier strike capability with warship commissioning"
. Defense News. 7 December 2017.
- ^
"The Royal Navy Is Going All In on Aircraft Carriers"
. National Interest. 9 October 2019.
- ^
"Royal Navy Carrier Strike Group Put to the Test"
. Royal Navy. 19 January 2017.
- ^
"HMS Queen Elizabeth's Carrier Task Group Takes Shape"
. Royal Navy. 26 September 2019.
- ^
"UK begins 'Westlant 19' carrier deployment"
. Janes. 30 August 2019.
- ^
"HMS Queen Elizabeth Carrier Strike Group to deploy next year"
. UK Defence Journal. 1 February 2020.
- ^
"HMS Queen Elizabeth's First Operational Deployment To Be Alongside Dutch Warship"
.
Forces.net
. 24 October 2018
. Retrieved
26 October
2018
.
- ^
"Carrier Strike Preparing for Deployment"
(PDF)
.
nao.org.uk
. UK National Audit Office. 26 June 2020.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on 29 June 2020
. Retrieved
19 July
2020
.
- ^
USS George Washington Public Affairs (21 August 2008).
"USS George Washington Departs for Japan"
. Navy.mil. Archived from
the original
on 8 January 2012
. Retrieved
2 November
2012
.
- ^
Lightbody and Poyer, pp. 338?339.
- ^
Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms
. S.v. "
surface action group
". Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- ^
Diaz, Jesus (17 December 2013).
"The future of naval warfare: Are US supercarriers useless?"
. Retrieved
27 August
2017
.
- ^
"Deutsches U-Boot fordert US-Marine heraus"
(in German). t-online. 6 January 2013
. Retrieved
18 December
2020
.
- ^
"Pentagon: New Class Of Silent Submarines Poses Threat"
. KNBC. 19 October 2006. Archived from
the original
on 16 November 2007
. Retrieved
21 July
2006
.
- ^
CVX Next Generation Aircraft Carrier
, globalsecurity.org
Bibliography
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]