Watch How Nuclear Aircraft Carriers Project Power and Why They’re Vulnerable

The sight of an aircraft carrier on the horizon can shift not only geopolitical conversations but entire military strategies. For decades, these colossal floating airbases – and the smaller carriers operated by allies like Japan – have been the undisputed instruments of national power. With the ability to move into striking range of any coastline, carriers like the USS Gerald R. Ford project military might exactly where it matters most—near the coasts where 80% of the world’s population resides.

Yet, despite their formidable presence, recent war games have revealed alarming vulnerabilities. In both 2005 and 2015, Swedish and French submarines successfully “sank” U.S. carriers during exercises, proving that even these giant warships aren’t immune to modern threats.

Related article: Book Review: Heavy Metal, The Inside Story Of US Navy Shipbuilders

In this excellent video, Wendover Productions breaks down the complex operations of these “cities at sea” and explains how aircraft carriers function on a day-to-day basis.

While this video doesn’t dive into the nuances that experts like naval aviator Ward Carroll cover in his youtube channel, it offers an important entry level primer—especially for merchant captains needing to understand the basic capabilities and weaknesses of naval assets safeguarding global shipping lanes, as tensions flare and attacks on ships in the Red Sea grow more frequent.

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