[ClearCase_guy]

These ships are defended by an armada, and also by the fact that no one wants to piss off the US that much. No one.

If I'm not mistaken, our doctrine is that any nation which takes out one of our carriers received a nuclear counter-attack. We don't have a lot of events which trigger a US nuclear response, but I believe sinking a carrier is one of them.

In other words, any foreign nation which seriously attacks a US carrier is going "all-in" and WWIII has begun.

[Abin Sur]

If I'm not mistaken, our doctrine is that any nation which takes out one of our carriers received a nuclear counter-attack. We don't have a lot of events which trigger a US nuclear response, but I believe sinking a carrier is one of them.

While I believe the current occupant of the White House would give a (limited) nuclear reply if one of our carrier task forces was nuked, if a country somehow took out a carrier with conventional weapons I suspect he would only respond in kind.

[ecomcon]

If I'm not mistaken, our doctrine is that any nation which takes out one of our carriers received a nuclear counter-attack.

No way is Obambi in for that. He will defer to Eric Holder.