I don't think the speedboat would work, but the idea of attacking while docked is a sound one. The defense of the fleet will be less effective, and strangers can get a lot closer unobserved than they could at sea. Presumably, several coordinated attacks would be needed. Imagine a mortar attack and a few speedboats coming in at once. The mortar can't really sink the carrier, but it also can't be ignored. While something is being done about that, the speedboats have a better chance. Presumably they can be dealt with, but, while people are focussed on those, the torpedoes have a better chance of getting through.They may make it, they may not, but while the mortar attack, teh speedboats, and the torpedoes are being defended against, anti-ship missiles may leak through. I don't think any one attack could work against a US carrier.

What about a small dirty bomb. Must take a fair while to decomtaminate a vessel of such size.

Death Star

Death Star. I forgot it took last character off.

I think carriers have a system for washing the deck quickly in case of NBC attacks, so a dirty bomb may not pose a real threat.

the citadels are NBC resistant and they also have gear like scrubbers and sprayers.

K3n is correct: the NBC washdown system means a radiological weapon is no problem. Note that RW weapons are NOT military weapons per se, but terrorist weapons. They are not very effective even against civilians in a country with good health services. They might be devastating against third world civilians. I regret to say we designed and tested these things in the 1950s, and I have declassified copies of all the Duguay test results. It was correctly concluded RW is a waste of money and reactor time. The ONLY survivor of this program is the neutron bomb, which goes full circle - to get EFFECTIVE radiation they had to use a true atomic bomb to get it!

Torpedoes are the best way. Since airplanes do not do anti-surface torpedoes any more, submarines are the way. An Aussie Collins class proved it can be done in 2004. Subs are HARD to find. In 1981, a single Arg Type 209 TWICE detected the British carrier task force and was able to obtain a firing solution. The torpedo wires broke in both attacks, but the Brits were lucky. They didn't even know they were under attack one time, and they failed to damage the sub the other time. The torpedoes to use are Russian Test 71/96 or 53/65 or Chinese Yu-5 or Yu-6. Or US Mark 48s if you can get them - several navies use them. ASCMs can damage a carrier and send her home, unfit for flight operations - but you said SINK.

There is also this: a nuclear weapon should do the job. China has a variation on this: use a neutron bomb - then you immediately disable the crew, which dies in a short time. It does not sink the carrier unless you actually almost hit it. But Navy studies (with real atomic bombs) indicate you cannot save the ship - it is too radioactive and is only fit for scrapping. But it might be smart politics to NOT sink it or kill everyone outright. It might be more terrifying and people might object to sending their sons into harms way facing this risk. However, I believe that the USN would go on a tactical nuclear offensive and it would end up being a very counterproductive move.

Would YOU want to risk setting off a nuke against a Nimitz with Bush in office? Hope you've stocked up on your Iodine pills!