Re: Interesting - Ukraine Missiles Use Open Source, Russians Use Pi-4s

rbowman <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:12:40 -0000 (UTC), Rich wrote:
> 
>> I've seen press reports (I have no idea of their actual accuracy) that
>> indicate that the US Navy is keeping the carriers far away from the
>> believed reach of Iran's drones, just so they can't get hit (well,
>> hopefully)
> 
> Aircraft carriers are 20th century technology. They lose their appeal if 
> you have to park them 1000 miles away. I don't know if the Iranians have 
> the capability but China and Russia certainly do. 

Yes indeed.  Just as "aircraft" made the "battleship" obselete, what we 
are seeing is the fact that "drone swarms" and/or "cheap drones" are 
making the "aircraft carrier" ship obselete as well.

Yes, less useful if parked 1000mi away, although the planes on board 
may still have enough range to be somewhat useful at that distance.  
But the longer the travel from launch to engagement, the less fuel 
remaining for that "engagement" which does whittle down the "air power" 
angle quite a lot.

Although this page: 
https://www.flyajetfighter.com/the-real-range-of-modern-fighter-planes/ 
looks to indicate that 1000mi (1600km) starts to put a number of 
warplanes at a point where they have limited engagement possibilites 
unless they start out carrying extra tanks, which mean less ordinance, 
before they would have to return to refuel, or return to an air tanker 
to refuel -- but then the air tanker must be kept beyond harms way, 
because it makes an especially juicy target as taking it out reduces a 
lot of the attack capability of the war planes.