According to this assessment, Iran's long-range precision weapon systems have forced 2 US aircraft carrier strike groups to operate at long distances, significantly reducing strategic effectiveness.
US aircraft carriers have long been seen as a pillar in Washington's strategy of showing off global military power. However, in the context of escalating conflict in the Middle East, Russian experts believe that these expensive "floating fortresses" are facing major challenges from long-range precision weapon systems.
Answering TASS news agency on March 15, Mr. Alexander Stepanov - an expert at the Institute of Law and National Security of the National Academy of Economics and Public Administration under the Russian President - said that Iran's precision weapon systems have put 2 US Navy aircraft carrier strike groups in a passive position.
According to Mr. Stepanov, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln had to move away from the Iranian coast to maintain a safe distance. After that, the Iranian side announced that the ship had returned to base with the possibility of damage.
Meanwhile, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford - the most modern and expensive aircraft carrier ever built by the US - is also said to have encountered many technical problems. According to expert Stepanov, the ship has recorded incidents such as waterlogging due to technical problems and fire on board, although it has not directly participated in combat.
These developments, according to Mr. Stepanov, show that the US strategy of showing off military power through aircraft carriers is under increasing pressure.
We are witnessing the erosion of one of the important pillars in the US military strategy, as aircraft carriers - which are extremely costly - gradually lose their position as the strongest deterrent," he said.
According to Russian experts, the biggest problem of aircraft carriers in modern conflicts is the ability to be easily threatened by long-range precision weapon systems.
Anti-ship missiles, drones and long-range attack systems are much cheaper than aircraft carriers but can create great pressure on naval combat groups.
Due to the risk of being attacked, aircraft carriers are forced to operate at a distance beyond the range of these weapons. This significantly limits the ability to deploy aircraft and provide combat support.
According to Mr. Stepanov's estimate, the two US aircraft carrier strike groups have a total value of about 50 billion USD. However, Iran's long-range precision weapon systems - which are much cheaper - can make these ships tactically passive.
