I was wondering if they were buying two carriers and a senator or if that would be an additional purchase?

They can't afford to out-bid Wall Street or Big Pharma.

At best other countries have one or two mid size carriers or smaller ships capable of launching helicopters or vtols.

Aircraft Carriers are designed to project power. Move air power to protect fleets of troops and equipment and/or conduct air raids on hostiles.

Believe China and Russia have some Aircraft Carriers slated, but they appear to be designed to project power regionally as opposed to globally like ours. Probably why the Navy wants them, a good reminder who holds the big stick. With that said....

...even the current fleet is probably overkill already.

Power projection in relative peacetime in the main mission of modern Carrier Battle Groups (CBG). In short, the ability the put quite a bit of American air power within striking distance of a potential hotpot within a week or so.

To do that, you need between 3 and 4 active CBGs.


At any one time, about a third of carrier are in the shipyards undergoing maintenance/refit. Another third are in port, between deployments. And another third are actively deployed. With 11 active CVN's in the fleet, that means 3 or 4 actively deployed CBGs. The Navy would probably be more comfortable with 4 or 5. But even if they don't expand the fleet, keep in mind 2 of our current VN's (CV-68, USS NIMITZ, and CVN-69, USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER) are both over 40 years old.

We have 11 large carriers that for the most part are twice the size of any other nations carriers who only have one (and are allies of the US). We have another 9 small carriers the same size as most countrie’s carriers
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_carrier#/media/File%3AWorld_Navy_Aircraft_carries_chart.svg

We have carriers that could put over 1,100 planes afloat no other country (again mostly allies ) can put more than 50

The big ones must be the size of Antarctica!

We are the only nation that project that kind of power globally. If we don’t want to perform that mission, then obviously we don’t need the carriers. But we would be giving up a unique capability.

Another perspective ...
From this 2015 article ... https://www.nationalreview.com/2015/10/navy-aircraft-carrier-spending-budget-defense/


"The newest carrier, the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford, to be commissioned next year, cost $12.8 billion. Add the costs of the air wing, the support of five surface-combat ships and one attack submarine, and 6,700 sailors. The bill for operating a carrier group: $2.5 million a day. " (emphasis added)

That 13 billion is just for the carrier; the planes are extra. Plus it's 2.5 million dollars a day per carrier group.

Sub launched cruise missiles can project force rather well as can B-2 bombers.

Ivanka, Junior, Eric, Ivanka 2, etc.