Q&A ยท 59:30-1:00:12

How carrier aircraft use missiles to disable or sink ships

Missile attacks can remove a ship's ability to fight or cause flooding and structural failure.

Question

How do modern carrier aircraft sink ships when torpedo bombers are no longer their usual anti-ship weapon?

Short answer

Missiles can disable sensors, command facilities, or propulsion, or breach and damage the hull enough to cause flooding.

Notes

Modern carrier aircraft can attack ships with missiles rather than aerial torpedoes. A missile may seek a mission kill by destroying sensors, command facilities, or propulsion. Other attacks aim to rupture the hull and admit water. A weapon diving deeply into the hull can also cause major structural damage, so disabling systems and sinking the ship remain different possible results.