Two retired Navy officers, Commander Bryan McGrath and Captain Jerry Hendrix, debated the effectiveness and efficiency of aircraft carriers for maritime defense strategy for the U.S. military. Mr. McGrath argued that “nuclear aircraft carriers with air wings are the most cost effective and efficient platform to project power in the maritime and littoral realm to support U.S. national security interests in current and future security environments.” Captain Hendrix argued against the resolution.
Caption
This photograph shows a Dassault Rafale aircraft parked on the tarmac of the French Air and Space Force Luxeuil-Saint-Sauveur Airbase in Saint-Sauveur, France, on March 18, 2025. (Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images)