Sweden ‘Sank’ a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier: How One Wargame Showed How America’s Supercarriers Can Be Beaten

Sweden ‘Sank’ a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier: How One Wargame Showed How America’s Supercarriers Can Be Beaten

The 2005 wargames involving the HSwMS Gotland and the USS Ronald Reagan remain a watershed moment in naval history. While the multi-billion dollar nuclear carrier was protected by a fortress of destroyers and subs, the $100 million Swedish diesel boat proved that in the "quiet spaces" of the ocean, a "David" can indeed topple a "Goliath." This exercise is still the primary case study for the "asymmetric cost curve" in modern maritime warfare. Th…