Large Ship Vulnerability.

I've heard the arguments regarding the vulnerability of large ships in the littoral zone.  

I've heard pundits wax on about swarm attacks by small boats.  

I've read how antiquated it is to build US warships to warship standards...and why it would be better to copy the example of our European allies and to build them to mercantile standards.

Bullshit.

Do you remember this from a few years ago?  Large ships don't go quietly into the night. After absorbing all that damage and without the benefit of Damage Control Parties, this ship still had to be destroyed by controlled INTERNAL explosives.

This from the Navy Site. DE

The photos below were taken on July 13, 2006, and show the BELLEAU WOOD being sunk by EOD set off bombs. On July 12, 2006, the ship had already taken Harpoon hits and gunfire from the USS MOBILE BAY (CG 53) but refused to sink. Thanks to Mario Silva-Hernandez for contributing the potos.

Note* The results of US Navy test sinkings of aircraft carriers are still classified. If an LHA is this robust then imagine how much damage a modern aircraft carrier could absorb. Maybe the Chinese are signaling the truth by the desperate attempt to target our capital ships with ballistic missiles. Perhaps they've run the simulations and realize how difficult it would be and how much damage THEY would have to absorb in order to destroy a large US combatant conventionally!