Thanks for bringing me up to date - things have changed - sleeker - much more efficient.
They are not there to undertake combat missions unless fired upon.
They are there to instill confidence in our allies, Bravado, Intimidation and Provocation. There is a very high price to be paid for firing on a US Carrier with national assets.
If folks really want to understand where hot spots may emerge, look at the deployment of unrep, supply and ordnance shipping. That's what other military organizations track.
The USN is supreme on the seas. All the world's navies combined could not defeat them. They don't even think about that scenario.
Instead they track the supply vessels to help them figure out who is going to get their ass kicked next.
Not that there's anything anyone can do about it. They just want to know.