No, that implies some kind of predictable omni disabling power in my mind, which is the fiction as far as nuclear and non nuclear generated EMP in all its forms goes. Two complex devices exposed to the same energy may react in much different ways, anything from a monitor going to fuzzy to an electronically fused warhead detonating. Devices may be ruined, they may merely blue screen. Items that rely on electrical power but not precise voltage regulation will care less then those which do. You would expect systems disabled on a vessel, rather then the entire thing sliding to a halt. The material condition of the ship and systems, even the weather outside can have a serious effect on what actually happens.Sarevok wrote:So Skimmer would you say missiles with EMP warheads are like fictional ion cannons ? Disable rather than destroy a vessel. Perhaps even board and capture ?
Boarding and capturing a major warship is a highly implausible idea, its not like no guns exist on board particularly on a CVN, though if you want a amusing but serious toned novel with this premise, using sleeping gas rather than EMP, I suggest Raid on Truman by John T. Campbell.
Satellites can do a much better job of this then they could before. China already orbited a formation flying radio location system similar to the US naval ocean surveillance system, and the radars carried by various spy satellites now have the realistic resolution to identify a carrier from other traffic. You can also just see them, the huge wake making things easier, on plain optical and IR film... the Soviets never orbited satellites with digital photo down links making this unusable as a targeting system, but China now has.HMS Conqueror wrote: 2. This is because the difficulty of sinking a carrier is not in delivering a large enough weapon at a long enough range, it's seeing where the carrier is. The ability to engage a carrier is still limited by aerial reconnaissance - which is why you need a carrier of your own to fight a carrier.
Course, this is also a factor in why the US reminded China it can easily field its own anti satellite weapons in 2006.