A Carrier Strike Group is built around an aircraft carrier as the centerpiece, with a mix of escorts and support ships to project power and stay on station longer. The carrier provides the air power, while the escorts—cruisers and destroyers—offer air defense, surface warfare, and anti-submarine capabilities to protect the group. Adding one or two submarines strengthens undersea protection and deterrence, and including one or two supply ships enables underway replenishment for fuel, ammunition, and supplies. This combination creates a self-sustained, capable fighting unit. The other descriptions describe different formations or oversimplify the group. An expeditionary strike group focuses on amphibious operations with landing ships, not the typical carrier-centered balance. Saying a carrier group is just a single carrier with escorts omits the essential submarines and logistics that extend the group’s reach. A submarine task force with carrier support describes a different force dedicated to submarine operations rather than a carrier-centric strike group.