A carrier battle group (CVBG) consists of an aircraft carrier (designated CV) and its escorts, together composing the group. The first naval task forces built around carriers appeared just prior to and during World War II. The Imperial Japanese Navy was the first to assemble a large number of carriers into a single task force, known as Kido Butai. This task force was used with devastating effect during the Pearl Harbor Attack. Kido Butai operated as the IJN's main carrier battle group until four of its carriers were sunk at the Battle of Midway. In contrast, the United States Navy deployed its large carriers in separate formations, with each carrier assigned its own cruiser and destroyer escorts. These single-carrier formations would often be paired or grouped together for certain assignments, most notably the Battle of the Coral Sea and Midway. By 1943 however, large numbers of fleet and light carriers became available, which required larger formations of three or four carriers. These carrier groups eventually formed the Fast Carrier Task Force, which became the primary battle force of the U.S. Fifth and Third Fleets.
With the construction of the large supercarriers of the Cold War era, the practice of operating each carrier in a single formation was revived. During the Cold War, the main role of the CVBG in case of conflict with the Soviet Union would have been to protect Atlantic supply routes between the United States and Europe, while the role of the Soviet Navy would have been to interrupt these sea lanes, a fundamentally easier task. Because the Soviet Union had no large carriers of its own, a situation of dueling aircraft carriers would have been unlikely. However, a primary mission of the Soviet Navy's attack submarines was to shadow every CVBG and, on the outbreak of hostilities, sink the carriers. Understanding this threat, the CVBG expended enormous resources in its own anti-submarine warfare mission.
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In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, most of the uses of CVBGs by the United States as well as that of other nations have been in situations in which their use has been uncontested by other comparable forces.
British and French carrier battle groups were involved in the 1956 Suez Crisis.
During the later part of the Cold War, an important battle scenario was an attack against a CVBG using large number of anti-ship cruise missiles. The first attempted use of anti-ship missiles against a carrier group was part of Argentina's efforts against Britain in the Falklands War. Interestingly, this was the last conflict in which two belligerents employed aircraft carriers, although Argentina would make little use of its sole carrier, ironically supplied originally by Britain.
The United States Sixth Fleet assembled a force of three carrier battle groups and a battleship during the Lebanese Civil War in 1983. Daily reconnaissance flights were flown over the Bekaa Valley and a strike was flown against targets in the area resulting in loss of an A-6 Intruder and an A-7 Corsair.
Carrier battle groups routinely operated in the Gulf of Sidra inside the "Line of Death" proclaimed by Libya resulting in aerial engagements in 1981, 1986 and 1989 between U.S. Navy Tomcats and Libyan Su-22 aircraft, SA-5 surface-to-air missiles and MiG-23 fighters. During the 1986 clashes, three carrier battle groups deployed to the Gulf of Sidra and ultimately two of them conducted strikes against Libya in Operation El Dorado Canyon.
During the international military intervention in the 2011 Libyan civil war, the French Navy deployed its aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle, off Libya. The Charles de Gaulle was accompanied by the frigates Dupleix and Aconit, and the replenishment tanker Meuse.[1]
In modern United States Navy carrier air operations, Carrier strike group (CSG) has replaced the traditional term of carrier battle group (CVBG or CARBATGRU). The Navy maintains 11 carrier strike groups, 10 of which are based in the United States and one that is forward deployed in Japan. CSG or CVBG normally consist of 1 Aircraft Carrier, 2 Guided Missile Cruisers, 2 Anti Aircraft Warships, and 1-2 Anti Submarine Destroyers or Frigates.[2] The large number of CSGs used by the United States reflects, in part, a division of roles and missions allotted during the Cold War, in which the United States assumed primary responsibility for blue water operations and for safeguarding supply lines between the United States and Europe, while the NATO allies assumed responsibility for brown and green water operations.
During the period when the American navy recommissioned all four of its Iowa class battleships, it sometimes used a similar formation centered on a battleship, referred to as a battleship battle group (BBBG). It was alternately referred to as a Surface Action Group (SAG).
The Royal Navy did maintain two task forces concurrently (one based on an aircraft carrier and one based on an Amphibious Command Ship). At least one task group would be deployed at any one time. There is currently one Invincible class aircraft carrier in operation with the Royal Navy although due to the retirement of the BAE Harrier it will serve as a helicopter carrier, the other two are now decommissioned. The Royal Navy also utilises the Ocean Class LPH as well as the two Albion Class LPDs as Amphibious Command Ships at the centre of a task group. The two new Queen Elizabeth class are currently under construction and will operate the F-35, replacing the ageing Invincible class in 2019.
The only serving French carrier is the Charles de Gaulle, which also serves as the flagship of the Marine Nationale.
The Carrier Battle Group (Groupe Aéronaval, GAN, in French) of the Force d'Action Navale is usually composed, in addition to the aircraft carrier, of :
This group is commanded by a rear admiral (contre-amiral, in French) on board the aircraft carrier. The commanding officer of the air group (usually a capitaine de frégate—equivalent to commander) is subordinate to the commanding officer of the aircraft carrier, a senior captain. The escort destroyers (called frigates in the French denomination) are commanded by more junior captains. The Charles de Gaulle is likely to be joined by the future French aircraft carrier at some point in the future.
The CVS–ASW (Aircraft Carrier with Anti-Submarine Warfare) Giuseppe Garibaldi is Italy's first carrier. The battle group based in Taranto called COMFORAL is formed by the carrier Garibaldi, two "Durand de La Penne" class destroyers, two support ships Etna and Elettra, and three amphibious/support ships (San Giusto, San Marco and San Giorgio).
After 2010 the Italian battle group will be formed by the new carrier Cavour, 5-6 new warships (including destroyers Horizon and frigates FREMM), one new support ship, some minehunters and new submarines (the COMFORAL will be a reserve group).[3]
The Spanish Navy currently operates one carrier, the Principe de Asturias, and the multi-purpose warship Buque de Proyección Estratégica, which can be used as a second carrier.
The group includes two escort squadrons: the 41st, with ASW Santa Maria class frigates, and the 31st, with AEGIS Álvaro de Bazán class AAW frigates.
The centrepiece of the Indian carrier battle group is currently the INS Viraat, an updated Centaur class light carrier originally built for the Royal Navy as HMS Hermes, which was laid down in 1944 and commissioned in 1959. It was purchased by India in 1986. India will commission a second aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, in 2012 and will follow this with a third carrier, INS Vikrant 2, in 2015. Whilst INS Vikramaditya is a former Soviet Kiev class carrier, the Admiral Gorshkov, the Vikrant will be the first indigenous Indian aircraft carrier. India eventually will have 2 Carrier battle groups by 2017.
The Indian Navy's CBG usually consists of two destroyers (usually of the Delhi Class, previously Kashins were used) and two or more frigates, (usually a combination of Brahmaputra, Talwar or Shivalik class) and one support ship.
The sole Russian carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov is rarely out to sea. Of the few sorties the carrier has conducted, most have been solo missions and without a large escort. However, the Kuznetsov has been observed sailing together with a Kirov class cruiser (CGN), Slava class CG, Sovremenny class DDG (ASuW), Udaloy class DDG (ASW) and Krivak I/II FFG (ASW). These escorts, especially the heavily armed Kirov class cruiser, use advanced sensors and carry a variety of weaponry. However, ships like the Kirov would likely be used in offensive operations rather than fleet escort in the event of war. Carrier escort would then be conducted by smaller vessels such as a Slava class accompanied by several Sovremenny, Udaloy and Krivak vessels.
The Admiral Kuznetsov is designed specifically to sail alone and carries greater firepower than its U.S. counterparts. This includes 12x SS-N-19 'Shipwreck' (long range, high speed, sea-skimming) SSMs, 24x VLS units loaded with 192 SA-N-9 'Gauntlet' SAMs, and 8x Kashtan CIWS with dual 30 mm guns, and 8x AK-630 CIWS. Compared to the 4x Phalanx CIWS and 4x Sea Sparrow launchers, each with 6 missiles carried by the Nimitz class, the Kuznetsov is well armed for both air-defence and offensive operations against hostile shipping.
The NAe São Paulo forms Brazil's only carrier battle group, together with 4 Frigates from Type-22/1 Class Frigates and Vosper Mk.10 Class Frigates (known as Niteroi Class), 1 or 2 Tupi Class Submarine, and one NT Almirante Gastão Motta Replenishment Oiler, with VF-1 "Falcão" Air Wing equipped with 6 to 9 Attack Aircraft AF-1 SkyHawk (A-4Ku), and 3 more Helicopters Squadrons for Attack, ASW and Multi-Mission (between AS332 Super Puma, AS532 Cougar, Super Lynx, Esquilo, EC 725 (16 ordered) SH-3 (being replaced by 6 new SH-70B)) and 2 more Fixed Wings Squadrons for AEW, COD and REVO (C-1A Trader and S-2 Tracker ordered). The NAe São Paulo was formerly Clemenceau class aircraft carrier Foch, a design used by the French Navy until 1997.
HTMS Chakri Naruebet is Thailand's only aircraft carrier, and is based upon the Principe de Asturias of the Spanish Navy.
Since its origins, the viability of the carrier battle group has been dependent on its ability to remain at sea for extended periods. Specialized ships were developed to provide underway replenishment of fuel (for the carrier and its aircraft), ordnance, and other supplies necessary to sustain operations. Carrier battle groups devote a great deal of planning to efficiently conduct underway replenishment to minimize the time spent conducting replenishment. The carrier can also provide replenishment on a limited basis to its escorts, but typically a replenishment ship such as a fast combat support ship (AOE) or replenishment oiler (AOR) pulls alongside a carrier and conducts simultaneous operations with the carrier on its port side and one of the escorts on its starboard side. The advent of the helicopter provides the ability to speed replenishment by lifting supplies at the same time that fuelling hoses and lines are delivering other goods.
There is debate in naval warfare circles as to the viability of carrier battle groups in 21st century naval warfare. Proponents of the CVBG argue that it provides unmatched fire power and force projection capabilities. Opponents argue that CVBGs are increasingly vulnerable to arsenal ships and cruise missiles, especially those with supersonic flight and the ability to perform radical trajectory changes to avoid anti-missile systems. It is also noted that that CVBGs were designed for Cold War scenarios, and are less useful in establishing control of areas close to shore. It is argued however that such missiles and arsenal ships pose no serious threat as they would be eliminated due to increasing improvement in ship defenses such as CEC (cooperative engagement capability), DEW technology and missile technology.
However, carriers have been called upon to be first responders even when conventional land based aircraft were employed. During Desert Shield, the U.S. Navy sortied additional carriers to augment the on station assets eventually maintaining six carriers for Desert Storm. Although the U.S. Air Force sent fighters such as the F-16 to theater in Desert Shield, they had to carry bombs with them as no stores were in place for sustained operations whereas the carriers arrived on scene with full magazines and had support ships to allow them to conduct strikes indefinitely.
The Global War on Terror (GWOT) has shown the flexibility and responsiveness of the carrier on multiple occasions when land based air was not feasible or able to respond in a timely fashion. After the September 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S., carriers immediately headed to the Arabian Sea to support Operation Enduring Freedom and took up station, building to a force of three carriers. Their steaming location was closer to the targets in Afghanistan than any land based assets and thereby more responsive. The USS Kitty Hawk was adapted to be a support base for special operations helicopters. Carriers were used again in Operation Iraqi Freedom and even provided aircraft to be based ashore on occasion and have done so periodically when special capabilities are needed. This precedent was established during World War II in the Battle of Guadalcanal and still remains viable today.
Regardless of the debate over viability, the United States has made a major investment in the development of a new carrier class—the Ford-class carriers (formerly designated CVN-X, or the X Carrier)—to replace the existing Nimitz-class carriers. The new Ford-class carriers are designed to be modular and are easily adaptable as technology and equipment needed on board changes.[4]
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