The US Navy’s Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group
(TRCSG) has entered the disputed South China Sea for the second time this year.
Viewers may note that TRCSG first entered the South China Sea in January.
The aircraft carrier group is on a scheduled deployment to the US 7th Fleet area of operations,
which is the US Navy’s largest forward-deployed fleet.
The strike group will conduct flight operations with fixed and rotary-wing aircraft
and maritime strike exercises.
TRCSG includes USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11,
Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) and Destroyer Squadron 23
which comprises of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Russell (DDG-59), USS Paul
Hamilton (DDG-60), USS Preble (DDG-88), USS Pinckney (DDG-91), USS Kidd (DDG-100), USS
Rafael Peralta (DDG-115) as well as USS John Finn (DDG 113).
In this video Defense Updates analyzes why China kept its distance while the Theodore Roosevelt
Carrier Strike Group entered the South China sea? Let's get into the details.
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USS Theodore Roosevelt is one of the largest warships constructed.
It has a displacement of 100,000 tonnes, and an overall length of 332.8 m
or 1,092 feet. To give viewers a perspective, it is about 3 football fields long.
It is powered by two A4W nuclear reactors, kept in separate compartments.
These power 4 propeller shafts and can produce a maximum speed of over 30 knots or 56 km/h.
As a result of the use of nuclear power, the ship is capable of operating continuously for over 20
years without refueling and is predicted to have a service life of over 50 years.
Practically it has unlimited range & endurance.
USS Theodore Roosevelt being a Nimitz class carrier possesses a multitude of different radars
including electronically scanned array 3D radars.
It is equipped with 16 to 24 RIM-7 Sea Sparrow or NATO Sea Sparrow missiles. RIM-7 Sea Sparrow is a
US ship-borne short-range anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapon system, primarily
intended for defense against anti-ship missiles. Its range is 19 km and 12 miles
Close-in weapon (CIWS) duties are performed by Phalanx, & RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile.
Phalanx CIWS has a 4500 /min rate of fire.
RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles have speed of over Mach 2.
USS Theodore Roosevelt can carry a flight group of more than 60 fixed-wing aircraft,
including F/A-18 Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, Northrop Grumman’s E-2C Hawkeye.
F/A-18 Super Hornet is a twin-engine,
supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable 4th generation multirole fighter aircraft.
They have a payload of 7700 kg or 17000 lbs and can carry ground attack weapons
as well as air-to-air missiles. The versatility of the aircraft can
be gauged from the fact that on the first day of Operation Desert Storm, two F 18, each carrying
four 2,000 lb. bombs shot down two Iraqi Migs and then proceeded to deliver their bombs on target.
The EA-18G Growler is an airborne electronic attack
(AEA) aircraft. It is capable of electronic attack (EA) and Suppression of Enemy Air Defence
(SEAD), particularly at the start and ongoing early stages of hostilities.
Northrop Grumman’s E-2C Hawkeye is a carrier-capable AWACS aircraft. It is designed to
give long-range warning of incoming aerial threats and has a secondary role of command and control.
Rotary aircraft includes variants of Sikorsky MH-6.
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers
are equipped with a diverse array of weapons for Anti Aircraft Warfare (AAW), Anti
Submarine Warfare (ASW), Anti Surface Warfare (ASuW) as well as can intercept
ballistic missiles through Aegis Ballistic missile defense system.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers & Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers have 96 cells & 122 cells
Mk 41 Vertical Launch System respectively.
These can be equipped with a choice of different weapons.
1. RIM-66M-5 Standard SM-2MR Block IIIB for Air Defense & Anti Ship role with a range of 103 miles
or 167 km and speed of Mach 3.5 2. RIM-156A SM-2ER Block IV
for Anti Aircraft & Anti Ship role with a range of 115 miles or 185 km and speed of Mach 3.5
3. RIM-161 SM-3 for Ballistic missile defense with a range of 435 miles or 700 km
and speed of Mach 10. It can also be used as an Anti-satellite weapon.
4. RIM-162A ESSM for an anti-missile role with a range of 31 miles or 50 km and a speed of Mach 4.
It can be quad packed in a single Mk 41 cell. 5. RIM-174A Standard ERAM or SM 6 for
anti-air warfare with a range of 150 miles or 240 km and speed Mach 3.5
6. BGM-109 Tomahawk for land attack. It has a long-range of up to
1550 miles or 2500 km with subsonic speed.
7. RUM-139A VL-ASROC anti-submarine missile with a range of 13 miles or 22 km
It also has 8 Harpoon Missile Launcher for Anti Ship role.
2 × Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes are present launching Mk-46 or Mk-50 torpedoes
2 Sikorsky SH-60B helicopters are responsible for Anti Submarine Warfare.
Other weapons consist of long-range naval guns and a variety of Close-In Weapon System.
The strike group may have a Virginia class attack submarine but it is not clear if
for this mission any have been deployed. The Virginia class submarines can defeat
enemy submarines, clear sea mines, as well as hit land installing.
Carrier Strike Group Nine commander rear admiral Doug Verissimo said:
“It is great to be back in the South China Sea to reassure our allies and partners that we
remain committed to freedom of the seas. Over the course of the strike group’s deployment,
we have demonstrated our commitment to the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region
by operating with our friends from Australia, India, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea.”
His statement is clearly pointing to Chinese activities in the region.
Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group
has enormous firepower and can take on the Chinese military head-on.
While China has improved its military capabilities over the last decade, an American Carrier Strike
Group presents a tremendous challenge taking on which is not in China's favor.