Yes, all our surface ships are mostly for show and to attack weaker nations, patrol shipping lanes, etc. In a real war with a major power, most of them would be sunk in a few weeks. Our real fleet is under water. We're really The only country left that really has them (carriers).
We're #1 with carriers (11). Italy is #2 with (2) active carriers. There are 6 other countries with a single carrier. A big waste of money considering they are so vulnerable.
The vulnerability of supercarriers is a myth. See [1]. TL;DR: ocean is so big that it's very hard to locate and keep track of a carrier group, especially when it takes active measures to avoid location.
I have to agree with this line from the report you linked: "However, it is a reasonable assumption
that adversaries will eventually devise targeting techniques, especially in the littoral areas adjacent to their homelands"
If China wanted to, they could develop the capability to track aircraft carriers -- especially within striking distance of the mainland.
But there's a much larger implicit assumption threaded throughout the report -- the assumption that our aircraft carriers will be cruising at full speed and on high alert in prepared and competent battle groups at time of attack. The assumptions of a maximally defensive posture and extreme competence are present in virtually every argument advanced by the report.
The most significant US naval defeat -- in which damn near the entire Pacific fleet was wiped out -- suggests that a full threat assessment should relax most or all of those assumptions.
The Russians have already mocked the UK's new carriers as "large convenient targets". Sinking of one of these carriers by the Russians also features in a (not particularly good) novel by a retired UK general about a war with Russia.
We're #1 with carriers (11). Italy is #2 with (2) active carriers. There are 6 other countries with a single carrier. A big waste of money considering they are so vulnerable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_carriers_by_c...
http://www.businessinsider.com/r-special-report-aircraft-car...