The Second World War ended with the devastating nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but another conflict loomed. The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union would give rise to military brinksmanship that would push the capabilities of aircraft carriers ever further. Not only would the rise of the jet age make massive improvements to aviation, but engineers harnessed nuclear reactors to propel ships.
The United States Navy commissioned the first nuclear-powered aircraft, the USS Enterprise, on November 25, 1961. The British Navy commissioned the first battleship without sails in 1871. Naval propulsion had evolved from sail to nuclear reactor in just 90 years.
Aircraft carrier range was no longer limited by fuel supply. Military jets enjoyed the ever-improving range and military capability. The space once reserved for fuel storage on American aircraft carriers could now be utilized for more aircraft, armament, and infantry forces. The aircraft carrier became not just a floating runway but a task force capable of waging war upon, or even invading, lands on the opposite side of the globe. The aircraft carrier is the centerpiece of global power projection.
With proven results as the premier global battle platform, nations worldwide have sought to become capable of fielding aircraft carriers. However, building and maintaining even a single aircraft carrier is expensive and bewilderingly technical. The current balance of aircraft carrier-wielding nations is incredibly lopsided. Like nuclear power, not every nation can afford to develop and maintain its own carrier fleets.
