US aircraft carriers are providing a decisive advantage in the ongoing offensive against Iran, with deployments underscoring their role as mobile military bases that project power across vast distances, reported India Today web portal. 

The United States has already positioned two carriers, the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R Ford, in the Arabian Sea and Red Sea respectively, supporting strikes that began on 28 February 2026. Plans are advancing to deploy a third, the USS George HW Bush, potentially joining from the Eastern Mediterranean to amplify this presence.

Aircraft carriers serve as floating airfields, equipped with long flight decks for launching fixed-wing jets and helicopters, alongside hangars, fuel stores, and command centres for sustained operations at sea. 

Modern carrier strike groups include destroyers, frigates, submarines, and replenishment vessels, extending striking power while offering defence against threats. Nuclear-powered US supercarriers like the Gerald R Ford class carry up to 75 aircraft and employ advanced Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) for efficient launches.

The historical significance of carriers emerged post-World War One, with Britain's HMS Argus as the first in 1918, revolutionising naval warfare by enabling strikes beyond gun range.

World War Two battles such as Taranto, Pearl Harbour, and Midway proved their dominance over battleships, establishing carriers as the pre-eminent capital ships. Today, they facilitate power projection, allowing nations to influence distant theatres without relying on land bases, as noted by strategic analysts.

Only 15 nations operate aircraft carriers globally, but merely eight possess vessels capable of handling both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, including the US, China, UK, Japan, France, India, Russia, and Italy.

The US leads with 11 supercarriers, enabling persistent global presence; China fields three conventional carriers—Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian—each supporting around 50 jets, with a nuclear-powered Type-004 under construction. The UK’s two Queen Elizabeth-class carriers and France’s nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle further highlight elite capabilities.

In the current Middle East crisis, allies are mobilising: the UK prepares HMS Prince of Wales for potential deployment, while France has dispatched Charles de Gaulle to the eastern Mediterranean for defensive support.

These moves align with President Trump’s call for a naval coalition to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions. Such deployments reaffirm carriers as instruments of "100,000 tons of diplomacy," per Henry Kissinger, blending deterrence with operational flexibility.

India stands firmly among this select group, operating two carriers that enable power projection in the Indian Ocean region. The INS Vikramaditya, and the indigenous INS Vikrant (commissioned 2022), each accommodate up to 36 aircraft, including MiG-29K fighters and helicopters like MH-60R and HAL Dhruv.

INS Vikrant achieved full operational status recently after final clearance, enhancing dual-carrier operations demonstrated in 2023 exercises.

India’s carrier legacy began with INS Vikrant in 1961, Asia’s first post-WWII carrier, pivotal in the 1971 war by blockading East Pakistan. Both current vessels use ski-jump launches and conventional propulsion, contrasting US nuclear supercarriers but suiting India’s strategic needs against regional threats like China and Pakistan. Amid the Iran conflict, India has maintained neutrality, permitting an Iranian warship docking on humanitarian grounds while adhering to international maritime laws.

Despite vulnerabilities to drones and hypersonics, the Iran war validates carriers’ relevance, as US jets from carriers struck deep targets and countered attacks.

For India, sustaining two carriers demands vast resources for maintenance, crew training, and escorts, yet they bolster indigenous manufacturing via projects like INS Vikrant built at Cochin Shipyard. Plans for a third carrier (IAC-II) are progressing, potentially replacing Vikramaditya to ensure continuous twin-carrier capability.

Carriers remain prohibitively expensive—US Ford-class exceeding $13 billion each—yet indispensable for nations seeking global or regional influence. India’s duo positions it strategically in the Indo-Pacific, countering China’s expanding fleet while supporting alliances like the Quad. As the US leverages carriers against Iran, India’s investments affirm their enduring role in modern naval strategy.

India Today