Why ten Essex-class carriers cannot replace modern CVNs

What should the US Navy do if half its modern carriers were replaced by ten new Essex-class ships?

A massive rebuild would be unavoidable, with F-35B or helicopter operations more plausible than restoring full modern carrier capability.

Essex-class decks and lifts were not designed for the weights and dimensions of modern carrier aircraft. Their steam machinery would also lack a current service workforce accustomed to those plants, so replacing it with gas turbines is raised as another possible part of a major rebuild. Helicopter operations or F-35Bs are suggested as alternatives to restoring full modern carrier capability. F-35Bs would still require decks able to withstand their weight and heat. The dimensions checked during the discussion are a 17-foot-6-inch hangar and a 14-foot-4-inch aircraft, leaving only 3 feet 2 inches of clearance. Fitting inside the hangar therefore would not settle whether technicians could maintain the aircraft there.