Reply #38: You are missing the point.

[Statistical]

The US would consider sinking a carrier no different than carpet bombing Andrew's Airforce base.

Any country attacking a US Carrier understands it would be just as bad as a strike on us mainland.
Any such engagement would escalate to a nuclear confrontation.

That is why people have made reference to can it sink an Ohio?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_class_submarine

At any such time 9 to 11 are at sea hiding at the bottom of the ocean. The ULF relay network can send a launch signal anywhere in the world and can't be stopped.

Each Ohio has 24 ICBM w/ 8 475kt warheads or 91,200kt total yield or 6000x the Hiroshima bomb.

China is no more likely to strike a Carrier than they are to level New York city.

Of course some in the Navy need to expose this "threat" to get hundreds of billions to design a ballistic missile shield for naval fleets.


BTW: Both US and Soviets had tactical nukes to sink carrier groups. Both sides even developed nuclear tipped torpedoes.