China , India and Japan have turned to aircraft carriers as an indicator of military prestige . Aircraft carriers are expensive to build , logistically complex to operate and costly to defend . ship-launched and land-based ballistic missiles all make aircraft carriers vulnerable to attack in the context of modern conventional warfare . ` Carrier race comes amid rising assertiveness of Asian 's military powers . Military analysts say the value of a carrier lies in having it rather than using it .
China , India and Japan have turned to aircraft carriers as an indicator of military prestige . Aircraft carriers are expensive to build , logistically complex to operate and costly to defend . Carrier race comes amid rising assertiveness of Asian 's military powers . Military analysts say the value of a carrier lies in having it rather than using it .