Strike resurgence: French, UK carrier air wings add punch to CSG presence in the North Atlantic

摘要

The returning presence of Western aircraft carriers in the Euro-Atlantic theatre also brings significant operational capability and flexibility with their embarked air wings.A decade or so ago, the only navy with routine aircraft carrier presence across the Euro-Atlantic theatre was the Russian Federation Navy. Its sole aircraft carrier - the Orel class (Projekt 1143.5/6) Admiral Kuznetsov (063) -was a prominent military symbol of Russia's wider resurgence, as the Kuznetsov group made regular transits from its Northern Fleet base to the Mediterranean Sea, often sailing close to NATO states' territorial waters. US strategic and operational interest in any region is often manifested in the presence of a Nimitz class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. At that time, with the United States increasingly focused on the Indo-Pacific theatre, US Navy (USN) carrier presence in the Euro-Atlantic theatre was rare. A decade on, the operational situation has somewhat reversed. The Russian carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is in long-term refit, and Russia is wrestling with how, when and whether to re-generate its own carrier capability. There are also three Western navies now operating carriers regularly across the Euro-Atlantic theatre.