Carrier strike group

A naval formation centered on an aircraft carrier, with escort ships and support vessels that protect it and extend its operations.

Aircraft carrier: A warship designed to operate military aircraft at sea. Its flight deck and embarked air wing make it the formation’s central platform.
Carrier flight operations: The coordinated launch and recovery of aircraft from an aircraft carrier. Flight operations convert the carrier’s deck and air wing into sustained missions.
Power projection: The ability of a state to deploy military force beyond its own territory. A carrier group can bring aircraft and weapons within operational reach of distant regions.
Amphibious ready group: A naval formation centered on amphibious assault ships and embarked landing forces. It is organized primarily to move and support troops ashore, unlike a carrier-centered force.
Naval power: A state’s capacity to use naval forces to protect interests and influence events. Carrier groups are a prominent instrument through which navies exert influence far from home.
Carrier air wing: The aircraft, helicopters, and personnel assigned to operate from an aircraft carrier. Its aircraft provide the group’s principal airborne strike, surveillance, and defensive capabilities.
Carrier strike: An attack mission in which carrier-based aircraft deliver weapons against selected targets. Strike missions are one way the group projects force beyond the reach of its ships.
Sea control: The ability to use a maritime area for one’s purposes while limiting an opponent’s use of it. Carrier groups can help secure operating areas for naval forces and maritime traffic.
Surface action group: A naval formation of surface combatants assembled for a specific mission without an aircraft carrier. It can conduct surface warfare with fewer resources but lacks a carrier’s air wing.
Force projection: The ability to deploy and sustain military force at a distance. A carrier group brings a coordinated force without requiring permanent access to foreign bases.

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