In 2021, the United States conducted an impact test on its aircraft carrier, detonating 18 tons of explosives near its aircraft carrier, verifying the impact resistance of the aircraft carrier.
[The United States frequently conducts aircraft carrier shock experiments]
In fact, this is not the first time that the United States has put aircraft carriers into experiments, and in the mid-20 th century, the United States even bombed aircraft carriers with nuclear weapons, in addition to a month-long aircraft carrier bombing experiment, all of which showed that aircraft carriers are particularly resistant to beating.
Many people believe that the main reason why aircraft carriers are so resistant to beating is the heavy deck, is this true?
Why is the deck of an aircraft carrier so resistant to beating
Let's first talk about why the aircraft carrier resists the beating, and I believe that the Soviet Union has more say on this issue than we do.
[Design drawing of the Soviet aircraft carrier]
In the middle of the last century, the Soviet Union once regarded aircraft carriers as "coffin boards moving at sea", believing that as long as its anti-ship capabilities were strong enough, it would be difficult for aircraft carriers to play a role.
In fact, aircraft carriers are not only difficult to sink, but also possess extremely high strategic value.
Therefore, after the Soviet official changed its thinking, it began to build its own "nuclear-powered" aircraft carrier, but it was too late, and due to many factors, the Soviet Union could only retreat to conventional power, and only one was really in service.
One of the important reasons why an aircraft carrier is not the "uselessness theory of an aircraft carrier" as the Soviet Union sang about is that the aircraft carrier itself has a very high defense capability, and it is difficult for ordinary weapons to play a role, which greatly increases its survivability at sea.
When it comes to aircraft carrier resistance, it has to be discussed from many aspects, one of which is that its deck is strong enough to cope with the large-scale bombardment of ordinary explosives.
Generally speaking, the aircraft carrier deck is made of special steel raw materials that have undergone special synthetic treatment, which has characteristics.
Structurally, the aircraft carrier is designed with a multi-deck deck with a complex system of compartments underneath, the presence of which greatly increases the survivability of the ship.
Even if hit by a torpedo or underwater explosion, these compartments can restrict the flow of water and prevent the ship from sinking quickly.
The engine room and key facilities of a supercarrier are usually located in the inner and lower areas of the hull to reduce the possibility of a direct attack.
Second, the various defense systems of the aircraft carrier itself and the external auxiliary forces have also greatly increased its survivability.
For example, when a ship is hit by a missile, the water spray system can reduce the direct contact between the explosive fireball and the hull by spraying water violently to reduce damage.
At the same time, modern aircraft carriers are equipped with highly effective anti-missile, anti-submarine and anti-boat systems, such as the US Navy's Aegis system, which is capable of tracking and intercepting multiple air threats.
Another example is that an aircraft carrier is equipped with a fighter group that is the best defense force, and fighters can
For example, carrier-based aircraft such as the F/A-18 Super Hornet and the F-35C Lightning II fighter, the presence of which makes it very difficult for adversaries to approach carrier strike groups.
Moreover, aircraft carriers do not operate alone, but in the form of carrier battle groups, which often include destroyers, cruisers, and submarines, which provide additional defensive and offensive capabilities.
The entire battle group works in tandem to maintain a high degree of situational awareness with radar, satellites, etc., and connects various sensors and weapon systems through network-centric operations.
[Aircraft carriers have never fought alone]
Combining a variety of factors, the survivability of the aircraft carrier at sea is beyond doubt, even if it is directly hit by a missile, it is made of strong steel plate materials and will not sink easily.
How thick is the deck of an aircraft carrier
At this time, everyone may have such a question, since the aircraft carrier is so resistant to beating, then its steel plate must be very thick, but in fact, it is not.
The thickness of modern aircraft carrier steel plates generally ranges from 80 to 300 mm, and the thickness of the aircraft carrier deck used by China and Russia is about 80 mm.
Some of the more core systems, such as the command center and power compartment, will not exceed 300 mm thick.
The underwater part of the aircraft carrier also has a high level of steel, almost between 150 mm and 220 mm, mainly to cope with the blow of underwater torpedoes.
But in terms of resistance to blows, they are much the same.
Traditional World War II aircraft carrier decks, such as the U.S. military's Essex-class aircraft carriers, have a composite structure of wood and metal, with the wood part being very "flexible" and able to absorb the tremendous pressure and vibration generated by the aircraft during landing and takeoff, while the metal structure provides the necessary sturdiness.
[This type of aircraft carrier already has the prototype of a modern aircraft carrier]
At that time, the thickness of the deck generally ranged from a few inches to a dozen inches (1 inch is about 25 mm), which was enough to carry the operations of carrier-based aircraft at that time.
However, with the development of aviation technology, the size, weight and speed of aircraft have increased, which requires deck structures to be able to withstand greater impact forces.
Since then, the carrier's flight deck has been fully metallized and reinforced to meet the needs of heavier and faster carrier-based aircraft.
For example, the U.S. Navy's Nimitz-class aircraft carriers have decks nearly 3 inches (about 75 millimeters) of steel plates to secure mechanical equipment such as arresting cables and landing hooks, which are essential for the safe take-off and landing of carrier-based aircraft.
In the 21st century, with advances in materials science and structural engineering, modern aircraft carrier deck designs have become more complex and elaborate.
The U.S. Navy's new-generation Ford-class aircraft carriers feature deck structures made of high-strength steel and specialty alloys, combined with sophisticated thermal insulation and coatings resistant to jet fuel and other chemicals.
The actual average thickness of a Ford-class aircraft carrier's flight deck is 5 inches (about 125 mm), depending on the specific location and functional needs.
For example, the ejection and landing areas of the aircraft are thicker, taking into account the pressure resistance and the need to support the weapons carried by the relevant carrier-based aircraft.
Therefore, the claim that the so-called 5-meter thickness of the deck of the aircraft carrier is unfounded.
You may not know what the concept of a 5-meter-thick steel plate is, which is equivalent to the length of a family car.
Such a thick steel plate, not to mention the weight, is still magnetic, and after being equipped, the aircraft carrier is completely "scrap iron" moving at sea, and maybe even it cannot move at sea at all, and it will sink when launched.
Resources:
[1] The Paper: "Why is the aircraft carrier so difficult to sink?