As I said while writing my first book way back in 2001 - aircraft carriers may have been the most important military hardware of World War II - but due to huge leaps in missile technology, they will be giant sitting ducks in WWIII. As it is already, they have to stay farther and farther away from combat zones to stay safely away from the missiles of minor powers. If America chooses to prepare for WWIII as if aircraft carriers can be used against a major military power, thousands of servicemen and many carriers will be lost quickly.