The category reflects operational scope rather than displacement alone. A supercarrier can perform the complete fleet-carrier mission set simultaneously and carries air power comparable to that of many national air forces. Modern carriers grew roughly threefold from Lexington and Saratoga to the Gerald R. Ford class. Individual aircraft became roughly fifteen to twenty times heavier, however, which helps explain why today's much larger ships may operate numerically smaller air groups.
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What makes a supercarrier more than a fleet carrier
Supercarriers combine the full fleet-carrier mission set with enough aircraft and support capacity to perform several demanding roles at exceptional scale.