What is the use of warships today?

[davm92]

I was thinking that a warship might be unnecessary in modern warfare, just as an aircraft carrier they are somewhat easy to sink and they won't accomplish as much as they did in the past and they are extremely expensive. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Greeting

 

[Falcon29]

To dominate sea, control trading routes in case of war and if you can't deploy forces in allied nation , deploy in international waters to keep greater access. Basically all about control, it's not easy to sink warships. Not because they have missile systems onboard. But because of jamming technology of other weapons systems in the area that have anti ship missiles. The United States has advanced jamming techniques and I'm sure there's more than just jamming, they can alter GPS , targer radars , satellites, worst comes to worst can use emp bomb but this would result in humantarian crisis.

Most weapons can't be effective if you don't have plan B, C and D. For example Iran, they have missiles that sound good on paper. But in reality they don't have plan B if US manages to disable their weapons systems whichever way how, I'm not too knowledgeable about these methods. But Russia on other hand is more advanced in anti jamming tech, they have their own satellites and can secure them well. And so on.

 

[ke gordon]

I was thinking that a warship might be unnecessary in modern warfare, just as an aircraft carrier they are somewhat easy to sink and they won't accomplish as much as they did in the past and they are extremely expensive. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Greeting

Well based on the massive ships that are always being built and deployed by the Navy, they seem to think there is a need for warships. Other than patrolling the coasts which actually is more a function of the Coast Guard, I am not sure why they are really needed. However, that is not going t keep the U.S. government from spending money on them.

 

[Corzhens]

What I think of warships today is the same as what you think - an aircraft carrier. And it is also a showcase of technology particularly the facilities of a sea vessel that it can be like a home to the naval force since it can operate without replenishment for months. And the hugeness of the warship like the USS Ronald Reagan is imposing and looks threatening to potential enemies.

 

[fcuco]

Well, no aircraft carrier acts alone, they have to be protected and assisted by a fleet of other ships, so you will continue to see warships being built if only to serve as escorts within carrier groups.

Warships are also now platforms for missiles.

 

[madetofly]

Mostly is to show power superiority, but they are also important to control the sea, like when the US sent a ship to South China Sea near a disputed island because of 'excessive maritime claims' that would affect US and other countries freedom. Basically some countries were trying to push the territorial sea line, whenever you need to cross territorial seas, you need to ask permission to the country that owns that area. So, I would say warships are still important to keep things stable.

 

[ipm_zipedia]

Mostly is to show power superiority, but they are also important to control the sea, like when the US sent a ship to South China Sea near a disputed island because of 'excessive maritime claims' that would affect US and other countries freedom. Basically some countries were trying to push the territorial sea line, whenever you need to cross territorial seas, you need to ask permission to the country that owns that area. So, I would say warships are still important to keep things stable.

The flaunting of power is a really big aspect of this, especially when it comes down to the capabilities of a single ship. Not to be too hyperbole here, but I think that one destroyer now has the capabilities for combat of a WW2 era armed element.

 

[madetofly]

Indeed, but you have to keep in mind that one single ship today might still represent the same power percentage as a WW2 one, since not only the ships improved, but the entire fleet of vehicles. And that's a cool point actually, do the ships still have the same importance as they had back in the '40s?

 

[SirJoe]

Warships still play a roll now days as support. There isn't a great amount of navel warfare, maybe to take out the odd pirate but warships are mostly used in sea to land warfare. Unless the target is very far from the sea they can be a asset to any military force.

 

[vash]

I was thinking that a warship might be unnecessary in modern warfare, just as an aircraft carrier they are somewhat easy to sink and they won't accomplish as much as they did in the past and they are extremely expensive. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Greeting

Give me an example of an aircraft carrier was sunk since WWII. None.

Warships are the most powerful weapon platforms currently in service on this planet. They can carry all kinds of weapons, including artillery, cruise missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine missiles, and some of them carry aircraft.

It is (not) easy to sink a warship. Especially when the warship has multiple layers of defense systems, including long range surface to air missiles, medium range surface to air missiles, short range surface to air missiles, medium range artillery, short ranged CIWS (Close in Weapon System... usually Gatling guns). When warships work in a group, with early warning aircraft as well as fight jets as cover, it is even harder to sink them.

An aircraft carrier is the only way to project air power beyond the range of your aircraft from your airbases. By itself, aircraft is vulnerable, but when it is guarded by destroyers and frigates, the whole battle group is hard to beat. It got everything.

 

[vash]

On the second thought, OP might as well claim that warships without air cover can be vulnerable. That could be true if the warships or fleet is faced with enemy air attack. Other than that, they are perfectly fine on their own.

OP also claimed warships (including aircraft carrier) is easy to sink. Sunk by what? Yes, it is probably easier to sink a ship with an air attack compare to attack it with another ship, but if the target ship has its own air cover (from a carrier), then the attacking aircraft must pass the carrier aircraft first, before entering position to even open fire on the target ships. I do not think it is an easy task at all. The defense circle of a carrier fleet is large, and it has multi-layer. Even after get pass the carrier aircraft, you'd still have to face the long range surface to air missiles. Even if your anti-ship missiles outrange the long range SAM of the ships, your missiles will still have to get pass the missiles defense from the escorts of the carrier which is again no easy task.

 

[explorerx7]

Warships are just as important now as they have been the past. They are needed to transport manpower and equipment, they can give support in an attack in near-shore engagements and they can provide shoreline defence. I a see now reason that the current warships are easier to sink than in the past, in fact, the current warships are equipped with superior defence capabilities than in the past.

 

[Noreht]

I can only speak to the uses we currently employ warships for in South Africa. They assist us with big troop movements on our peacekeeping missions in central African countries and patrol our waters to protect our ships against potential pirates. I know that hey are also used as a deterrent to enemy warships and to patrol our waters in search of illegal fishing and poaching activity.

So they don't necessarily have a wartime function at the moment for us, but they do assist with the security of our coastline.

 

[djordjem87]

Battleships are well equipped, as far as I know, with modern weapons and anti missile systems. It is not an easy task to sink them because I believe they are effective when it comes to downing planes and stuff. Maybe I am wrong about this one, I am not an expert but I believe I read it somewhere. Anyway, they have purpose or protecting area of one country but they do much more than that.

 

[vash]

Actually to sum it up, the use of warship is to project power through sea. The combat range of warship is far beyond the reach of regular fighter jets, and their payload is also far beyond even a medium sized fighter jet squadron. Basically you can use warships to strike through sea to where your other weapon platforms can't reach. It is also a platform with attack and defense in one. It is never easy to sink a warship, unless you are putting it in a controlled environment such as one lone warship against an entire air force.