HMS Ocean Is A Goner
An aircraft carrier avoids being a huge and expensive sitting duck by keeping its location secret and making it impossible to approach its vicinity for miles. A huge zone surrounding the carrier is off limits for any craft, big or small, hostile or friendly. The carrier and its fleet is protected round the clock by radar, sonar, and satellite surveillance. Intruders are stopped dead in their tracks by an array of fighter aircraft, helicopters, submarines, smaller battleships, missiles and guns. Carrier fleets warn approaching ships and aircraft by radio to change course so they do not get attacked. This is how carrier fleets are supposed to operate.
While fleet personnel are expected to maintain a constant vigil, they sometimes get distracted and fail to give warnings. Such lapses are exploited by air forces of rival nations who send a few jets to fly over the embarrassed fleet. In peace time, no warnings means no right to attack. Overflights are extremely embarrassing because they reveal kinks in their preparedness. Once in a while, the Russian jets do this to American and NATO fleets.
Moral Volcano readers are supposed to be better informed. Now, what do you think about the UK government who in their infinite wisdom have sent an aircraft carrier inland into the Thames river and berthed it in the middle of London? The carrier is now within range of shoulder-fired missiles and high-powered rifles. The carrier is now what it is not supposed to be – a sitting duck. Terrorists may not be able to damage or sink the carrier but if they hit something or someone, it will still be a great propaganda coup. For the Royal Navy and the UK government, it will be a publicity stunt gone horribly wrong.
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