19FortyFive: damage to one of the aircraft carriers by Iran will intensify U.S. aggression.
The damage caused by Iran to one of the American aircraft carriers may lead to an increase in U.S. aggression, reports Andrew Latham, a columnist for 19FortyFive.
"A disabled aircraft carrier reduces the number of combat sorties at sea. This gap will not remain open for long," states the publication from the American magazine.
It notes that in the event of an Iranian missile or drone strike on one of the American aircraft carriers, another carrier will take over its tasks. "The second carrier strike group will increase the number of sorties. Ground aircraft already involved in the campaign will ramp up their operations. Submarines deployed in the theater of operations will support launches of cruise missiles against existing targets. If necessary, additional bombing forces may be engaged to maintain pressure," writes the author.
Latham assures that the U.S. will not limit itself to "symbolic revenge," as "it will be about even more aggressive suppression of the systems that enabled the strike on the aircraft carrier." "Coastal missile batteries, targeting radar stations, and command and control networks associated with naval strike operations will take priority on the target list," notes the columnist.
Latham acknowledges that a hit by an Iranian missile or drone on an American aircraft carrier—a symbol of U.S. naval power—could lead to an expansion of the military campaign and its political objectives. Furthermore, according to Latham, damaging a U.S. aircraft carrier will vividly demonstrate the need for a campaign to reduce Iran's strike capability.
"Adversaries will draw their own conclusions. The question they will ask is not whether aircraft carriers can be hit. There has never been any doubt about that. The question is whether a hit will constrain U.S. decision-making," concludes the author.
He also acknowledges that potential damage to the aircraft carrier will once again bring the discussion about the necessity of such ships to the forefront.
