Too early to write off aircraft carriers: former Indian Navy Chief

NEW DELHI: Shore-based air operations are still limited by range and that is why it is too early to write off aircraft carriers as they continue to bear huge influence at sea, former Indian Navy Chief Sunil Lanba said on Tuesday.

"A carrier battle group is a composite group of ships (including an aircraft carrier and submarines)...it brings huge capability to bear influence out at sea. So, in my opinion, it is too early to write off the aircraft carrier," said former Chief of Naval Staff at an event here.

"There is a segment all over the world, especially of the air forces, which talks of the vulnerability of the aircraft carrier and (say that) shore-based air forces and aircraft can do what can be done. But they are limited by range," he said.


Lanba said that any platform at sea comes with its vulnerabilities, whether it is a submarine, destroyer, frigate or an aircraft carrier.

"When I have talked to my US counterparts, there are still question marks on Chinese ability to actually strike a carrier out at sea at over 1,000 nautical miles," he said.

The US Navy has said that even if the Chinese navy has the capability to strike an aircraft carrier, it has procedures in place to take care of this threat, according to Lanba.