My view is that while Putin is not suicidal, things could escalate. For example multiple American and Russian planes shot down in Syria. Mutual attacks on Russian and American airbases.
Maybe the Russians get tagged particularly hard, and fire a nuclear-tipped Sunburn missile (or several) at a carrier to retaliate. Then instantly 7,000 sailors are vaporized.
And then they immediately announce any nuclear attack on Russian soil, whether or not it targets civilian or military would result in an immediate nuclear strike on a major US city.
Then the question is, what does the US do in return?
Maybe the Russians get tagged particularly hard, and fire a nuclear-tipped Sunburn missile (or several) at a carrier to retaliate. Then instantly 7,000 sailors are vaporized.
And then they immediately announce any nuclear attack on Russian soil, whether or not it targets civilian or military would result in an immediate nuclear strike on a major US city.
Then the question is, what does the US do in return?”
An attack on one of our carriers would most likely result initially in a measured attack on the Russian carrier, Admiral Kuznetzov. Then it would be up to the Russians to decide whether escalation is in their self-interest. They would not be able to strike first without expecting at least a tit-for-tat retaliatory strike.