Is the aircraft carrier obsolete?

[CountDeMoney]

After all, if the USN made a successor to the F-14, what would it do?  It's not like the terrorists have Backfires to splash.

Backfires are still out there, though.   As are big fucking ASMs.  The mission of the fleet interceptor hasn't changed:  as long as there's a fleet, there will be a need for fleet interceptors.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Do the Chinese have anything like a Tu-22M, or even the Tu-160?  Seems like that would be right up their alley.

[CountDeMoney]

Do the Chinese have anything like a Tu-22M, or even the Tu-160?  Seems like that would be right up their alley.

They're still running around with the Tu-16 ripoff they've always had, merely adding cruise missile variants. 

Thing is, even with the alleged "carrier killer" missiles, they're still big enough to necessitate a supersonic fleet interceptor.  The point is to intercept the threat from as far from the carrier as possible.

Speaking of Chinese jet pilots (lulz), here's a nifty article--
https://medium.com/war-is-boring/five-planes-of-the-chinese-air-force-you-really-ought-to-know-about-a0b27549c4bb

[MadBurgerMaker]

Only eight tankers?  Huh.

e: 

Thing is, even with the alleged "carrier killer" missiles, they're still big enough to necessitate a supersonic fleet interceptor.  The point is to intercept the threat from as far from the carrier as possible.

Yeah.  I think I've seen somewhere that the new long range AMRAAM is delayed or some such too.


Oh here we go.  Wiki has something about it being fielded in 2014, but not being with every Pacific squadron until 2020-2022.  Welp.

[Neil]

After all, if the USN made a successor to the F-14, what would it do?  It's not like the terrorists have Backfires to splash.

Backfires are still out there, though.   As are big fucking ASMs.  The mission of the fleet interceptor hasn't changed:  as long as there's a fleet, there will be a need for fleet interceptors.

Yeah, but at this point the F-14 has been superseded by AEGIS ships with SM-3 and SM-6 missiles.  If you really need air-to-air interceptors, there's always shitty Hornets, not to mention ground-based aircraft from Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.

[CountDeMoney]

Yeah, but at this point the F-14 has been superseded by AEGIS ships with SM-3 and SM-6 missiles.  If you really need air-to-air interceptors, there's always shitty Hornets, not to mention ground-based aircraft from Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.

Missiles don't always make for good dogfighters, as they can be Wild Weasel'd.  An F-14 can still engage the enemy if necessary farther away than the AEGIS umbrella.  Shitty Hornets have shitty range, which is why they made not-as-shitty SuperHornets.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Missiles don't always make for good dogfighters, as they can be Wild Weasel'd.  An F-14 can still engage the enemy if necessary farther away than the AEGIS umbrella.  Shitty Hornets have shitty range, which is why they made not-as-shitty SuperHornets.

Here's something stupid: The USMC declined the upgrade from regular Hornet to Super Hornet because reasons (something along the lines of making sure they get the F-35B or whatever), and they contribute airplanes to carrier groups, so there's going to be a chunk of old Hornets still flying from carriers until they get the F-35Cs the Navy is making them replace them with.

[Neil]

Yeah, but at this point the F-14 has been superseded by AEGIS ships with SM-3 and SM-6 missiles.  If you really need air-to-air interceptors, there's always shitty Hornets, not to mention ground-based aircraft from Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.

Missiles don't always make for good dogfighters, as they can be Wild Weasel'd.  An F-14 can still engage the enemy if necessary farther away than the AEGIS umbrella.  Shitty Hornets have shitty range, which is why they made not-as-shitty SuperHornets.

Modern missiles have internal guidance, and if destroying the base radar sets with anti-radiation missiles isn't really an option.  And the F-14 wasn't a great dogfighter either.

[CountDeMoney]

Modern missiles have internal guidance, and if destroying the base radar sets with anti-radiation missiles isn't really an option.  And the F-14 wasn't a great dogfighter either.

[Tonitrus]

Modern missiles have internal guidance, and if destroying the base radar sets with anti-radiation missiles isn't really an option.  And the F-14 wasn't a great dogfighter either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyjNInIH4Hw

[Syt]

Does the development of hypersonic weapons have any impact on the carrier debate? Or is that only relevant to naval missile platforms?

[alfred russel]

Shut your dirty whore mouth Seedy and ElevenB!

Fuck you, Nanook of the North.  I want more carriers.

You also want more voicemail. Unfortunately for you, the times they are a-changing. 

[CountDeMoney]

Go fuck yourself and your multiple accounts, you filthy fucking sociopath.

[Syt]

 

[Siege]

You must be fukcin drunk.
Airsift carriers are the still the best way to project power across the globe.