If CVA-01 had been built, what aircraft would succeed its Phantoms and Buccaneers?
Short answerProbably Super Hornets and Growlers, unless an Anglo-French naval aircraft was developed instead.
NotesThe answer favors an aircraft already designed for catapult carrier operations. Super Hornet would provide the strike and fighter replacement, while Growler would add the electronic-warfare capability associated with the same family. An Anglo-French design is acknowledged as another possibility, but it would require a separate cooperative program. The watch point therefore links the carrier's continued service to the availability of a mature naval aircraft ecosystem.