The Most Intense Carrier Combat Since World War II
When USS Eisenhower (CVN-69) returned from the Red Sea in July 2024, she had written a new chapter in naval warfare. Over nine months of continuous combat operations, the carrier and her strike group faced a threat environment unprecedented in modern naval history.
The numbers tell part of the story: 770+ weapons expended, dozens of drones and missiles intercepted, and multiple first-ever combat employments of advanced weapons systems. But for defense tech companies, the real lessons lie in how the crew adapted, what worked, and what the experience reveals about the future of warfare.
Combat Firsts That Validate Years of Development
The Eisenhower deployment saw several weapons and platforms employed in combat for the first time. Each represents years—sometimes decades—of development, testing, and refinement finally validated under fire.
EA-18G Growler: First Air-to-Air Kill
The Growler, typically known for electronic warfare, scored its first air-to-air kill against a Houthi drone. This wasn't in the design brief. The aircraft adapted to the threat environment, demonstrating the value of flexible, multi-role platforms that can respond to emerging needs.
AARGM: First Combat Use
The AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) saw its first combat employment, successfully destroying a Houthi Mi-24 Hind helicopter. This extended-range, precision weapon represented a capability gap that took years to fill.
SM-6: Operational Debut
The Standard Missile-6 made its combat debut, proving its beyond-the-horizon engagement capability against real threats. The SM-6 had been through extensive testing, but combat is the ultimate validation.
First Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles Used Against U.S. Forces
On the threat side, the Eisenhower strike group faced something no U.S. naval force had encountered before: anti-ship ballistic missiles employed in combat. This represents a significant escalation in the threat environment and validates the urgent need for layered missile defense capabilities.
The Drone Problem Is Real
If there's a single takeaway for defense tech companies, it's this: the drone threat is no longer theoretical. The Eisenhower strike group faced continuous drone attacks—cheap, expendable, and numerous.
The economics are brutal. A $500 FPV drone can force the expenditure of a multi-million dollar interceptor. Multiply that across hundreds of engagements, and the math doesn't work in the defender's favor.
The strike group adapted in real-time:
- Alert aircraft procedures evolved based on incoming threat patterns
- Defense-in-depth layered multiple systems to create overlapping coverage
- Coordination with surface escorts distributed the engagement load across the strike group
- Rapid software updates to engagement systems based on observed threat behavior
For defense tech companies, this underscores the need for cost-effective, high-capacity solutions. The market opportunity isn't just in the exquisite interceptor—it's in the affordable, attritable, and scalable.
Leadership Under Sustained Combat
Combat operations stress every system, including human systems. The Eisenhower's nine-month deployment tested crew morale, retention, and readiness in ways that peacetime operations never could.
Captain Hill spoke extensively about the leadership challenges:
Morale in Extended Operations
Sustained combat operations are exhausting. The crew went months without port calls, under constant threat, with minimal downtime. Traditional morale-building approaches—liberty ports, family visits—weren't available.
The Connectivity Game-Changer
One solution proved transformative: connectivity. The deployment's Starlink and shipboard WiFi capability was described as a "game-changer" for morale. Sailors could video call families, stream content during downtime, and maintain connections to life beyond the ship.
Demo the Facility Dog
Sometimes the solutions aren't high-tech. The Eisenhower deployed with Demo, a facility dog trained to support crew mental health. It's a reminder that effective solutions don't always require advanced technology—sometimes they just require understanding what deployed personnel actually need.
The "Way of the Warrior Sailor" Philosophy
Captain Hill emphasized a return to warrior culture—the recognition that naval service means being ready to fight and win at sea. For too long, peacetime mentalities had dominated training and readiness. The Red Sea deployment was a reminder that combat is the Navy's core business.
What This Means for Defense Tech Companies
Real-world combat data is extraordinarily valuable. Most defense technology is developed, tested, and evaluated in simulated environments. The Eisenhower deployment provides something rare: ground truth about what works, what doesn't, and what the force actually needs.
1. Prioritize Operator Feedback
The sailors who spent nine months fighting in the Red Sea know things that no simulation can capture. Defense tech companies should actively seek out and incorporate feedback from recently deployed units. PowerPoint exercises and test range results are useful, but they're not combat.
2. Design for Adaptation
The Eisenhower's crew adapted continuously throughout the deployment. Tactics evolved, procedures changed, and equipment was employed in ways its designers never anticipated. Systems that are rigid, single-purpose, or difficult to modify will struggle in real combat environments.
3. Solve the Cost-Exchange Problem
Every interceptor fired against a cheap drone is a win for the attacker. Defense tech companies have an urgent opportunity to develop solutions that improve the cost exchange ratio—whether through cheaper interceptors, reusable systems, or entirely different approaches like directed energy or electronic warfare.
4. Don't Neglect the Human System
Technology doesn't fight wars; people do. Solutions that improve crew endurance, morale, and cognitive performance under stress are just as important as the next missile or sensor. The success of simple interventions like connectivity and facility dogs should prompt consideration of what other non-obvious needs exist.
5. Think About Logistics
The Eisenhower expended 770+ weapons over nine months. That's an enormous logistical challenge—resupply, maintenance, and sustainment all under combat conditions. Defense tech companies should consider not just the weapon or sensor, but the entire lifecycle: How does it get to the fight? How is it maintained forward? What happens when you run out?
Implications for the High-End Fight
The Red Sea wasn't the Indo-Pacific. The Houthis, while capable, don't represent a peer adversary. But Captain Hill was explicit: the lessons learned are directly applicable to a potential conflict with China.
| Red Sea Experience | Implications for Indo-Pacific |
|---|---|
| Continuous drone/missile threats | Larger scale, more sophisticated systems |
| Extended deployment without port calls | Distributed operations across vast distances |
| Cost-exchange challenges | Even more acute against mass PLA production |
| Resupply under threat | Contested logistics across the Pacific |
| Crew endurance limits | Longer deployments with higher intensity |
The Red Sea was a proof of concept—for both the threat and the response. Defense tech companies should study the deployment not as an isolated event, but as a preview of future combat operations.
The Bottom Line
The USS Eisenhower's Red Sea deployment was the most significant naval combat operation in decades. For defense tech companies, it offers something invaluable: real-world validation of concepts, exposure of capability gaps, and insight into what deployed forces actually need.
The companies that study these lessons, incorporate operator feedback, and build solutions for the problems exposed in the Red Sea will be positioned to support the force in future conflicts. Those that ignore the data in favor of theoretical requirements and simulated environments will find their products irrelevant when it matters most.
Combat has a way of clarifying priorities. The Eisenhower's crew learned that over nine months of continuous operations. The defense industrial base should be paying attention.