Could North Korea really sink a US aircraft carrier?

Published May 5, 2017 3:13pm ET



The Korean Peninsula continues to simmer as the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-Un, launched another ballistic missile test over the weekend. In response, the United States has sent forces to the region, including Ohio class missile submarines and the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. In turn, North Korea has promised to sink the carrier. But is North Korea actually capable of sinking the USS Carl Vinson?

The best way for them to do so would be with “carrier killing” ballistic missiles. The Chinese have developed new and faster cruise missiles that can strike and kill American carriers. But even if we assume the North Koreans have the same weapon systems, we know they don’t have the same skill in tracking and locating enemy forces.

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