Watch: The Most Protected Ship in the World
This post is also available in: 
עברית (Hebrew)
The United States Navy aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt is currently operating in the western Pacific Ocean and seems to be the most protected warship ever. The aircraft carrier and its five thousand crew members are being escorted by a fleet of six guided missile cruisers and destroyers, with each vessel carrying about one hundred missiles.
A video by the United States Navy that was uploaded to Youtube shows the aircraft carrier sailing in formation with its escorts.
A typical U.S. Carrier Strike Group (CSG) consists of a guided missile cruiser, two or three guided missile destroyers, and the aircraft carrier. The cruiser is the main escort, responsible for coordinating the aircraft carrier’s defenses. Among the CSG, there is also a nuclear-powered attack submarine somewhere underwater protecting the rest of the strike group from underwater threats.
Popularmechanics.com reports that the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is unusual due to the large number of escorting vessels. Among these vessels there is the USS Bunker Hill, one of the older cruisers. The cruiser is equipped with the Aegis Combat System, air defense radar, and 122 vertical launch systems. Each launch system is capable of launching land attack, anti submarine, and air defense missiles.
The five destroyers in the strike group are Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers. Each destroyer is equipped with between 90 to 96 vertical launch systems.
Finally, the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier carries about 44 F/A-18 strike fighters, 5 EA-18G Growler electronic attack jets, 4 E-2C or E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning planes, and two C-2A Greyhound transports. Furthermore, the strike group also carries about 19 MH-60 helicopters.
So in total, the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group consists of thousands of troops, hundreds of missile silos, dozens of fighter jets, a nuclear attack submarine, and much more. Therefore making the USS Theodore Roosevelt one of the most protected ships in the world.
