A large warship concentrates weapons and capabilities in a 14,000-ton platform that current aircraft cannot reproduce. One speculative forecast is that space power could displace surface fleets before equivalent mass could be kept airborne. Predictions of obsolescence still face the problem that weapons prompt countermeasures. A nuclear attack could be prevented before launch or intercepted in flight, although there is no way to stop its effects once the weapon detonates. The bomber threat encouraged longer-range radar, surface-to-air missiles, and other defensive systems. Their effectiveness remains uncertain, with success and failure expected in individual engagements.
Notable Point · 14:14-17:05
Why a new weapon rarely makes navies obsolete by itself
Predictions that aircraft or hypersonic weapons will make surface fleets obsolete must account for payload capacity and the development of countermeasures.