Carriers have always been hard to defend in open total war. The fact that they are useful in relative peacetime has largely to do with nuclear deterrence, and t

Carriers have always been hard to defend in open total war. The fact that they are useful in relative peacetime has largely to do with nuclear deterrence, and the US's overwhelming naval and air superiority over most of its opponents. If a serious opponent starts sinking US aircraft carriers, then the war is already escalating far beyond that level.