$100,000,000 Submarine 'Sank' a $4,500,000,000 Navy Aircraft Carrier

Summary and Key Points: Aircraft carriers, costing between $5 to $13 billion, are crucial for projecting power and foreign policy. They never operate alone, leading a carrier battlegroup comprising various support vessels.

-In 2005, during a U.S. Navy exercise, the Swedish diesel-electric submarine HSMS Gotland penetrated the defenses of the USS Ronald Reagan carrier battlegroup, landing simulated torpedo hits multiple times over two years. This alarming feat highlighted the vulnerability of carriers to cheaper, stealthier submarines.