A carrier group's composition may be known while its position and approach route remain uncertain. Tracking a mobile force across open ocean consumes satellites and other reconnaissance resources, while deception or interference can make its next launch point harder to predict. Aircraft, aerial refueling, and standoff missiles then project force far beyond the carrier's own horizon. The A-6 Intruder example produces a strike radius approaching a thousand nautical miles, forcing an opponent to protect many possible targets instead of concentrating on one obvious line of advance.
Notable Point · 3:02:12-3:07:03
Mobility and long-range aircraft turn carrier location into a dilemma
An opponent may know a carrier's aircraft and weapons yet still have to defend an enormous area because the task group's location and attack direction remain uncertain.