US aircraft carriers add an edge to Iran offensive. Where does India stand?

The US is planning to deploy a third aircraft carrier in the Middle East amid the war with Iran. Aircraft carriers, one of the most expensive defence systems, are floating military bases that project power. Here's how aircraft carriers are used and where India stands.

Aircraft carriers of the US Navy have played a central role in the ongoing conflict involving Iran. Prior to the start of hostilities, Washington deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R Ford along with their escorting warships in the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, respectively. Aircraft from these carriers were involved in strikes across Iran beginning February 28. Aircraft carriers are among the most expensive defence systems ever built, and are mobile military bases. By the way, out of the 15 countries that have them, only eight countries, including India, have aircraft carriers that can store, maintain and launch both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

Returning to the Iran theatre, as the US looks to scale up its offensive against Iran, the US is also considering deploying a third aircraft carrier, the USS George HW Bush, along with its battle group in the Middle East, according to Forbes.

Meanwhile, the BBC reported that the United Kingdom was preparing its carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales, to sail toward the theatre. French newspaper Le Monde also reported that France has deployed aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle along with other warships in the eastern Mediterranean to provide defensive support to allies threatened by the widening Middle East conflict.

"To put it simply, countries that aspire to strategic international influence have aircraft carriers," Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, former First Sea Lord (head) of the Royal Navy, told the BCC in 2012. Among the largest and most expensive weapons systems ever built, aircraft carriers are far more than just an ordinary warship.

With onboard air wings that can range from roughly 20 to 75 aircraft depending on the vessel, and with accompanying carrier strike groups consisting of destroyers, frigates and support ships, they function as floating military bases.

Their ability to sustain long-range air operations, command naval formations and conduct a wide variety of missions allows countries to project power and influence far beyond their shores. As former US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger put it, "An aircraft carrier is 100,000 tons of diplomacy."