The United States Navy is confident in its ability to operate nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (CVN) and their air wings inside zones protected by anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) weapons.
The service expects that the massive ships and their escorts will be able use their combination of speed, maneuverability and defensive capabilities to fight while under fire from enemy anti-ship cruise and ballistic missiles. Meanwhile, the carrier air wing (CVW) will rely on the Lockheed Martin F-35C Joint Strike Fighter, the forthcoming unmanned MQ-25A Stingray aerial refueler and its fleet of Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft to defeat advanced enemy air defenses such as the Russian-built S-300 and S-400 families. more
