The proposed sea-control ship could be cheaper because it would perform only one or one-and-a-half missions rather than the full spectrum expected of a Nimitz-class carrier. Politicians could compare both simply as carriers and choose the cheaper hull without buying enough of them to compensate for its limitations. Large carriers become particularly efficient once their air groups rise above roughly sixty aircraft, because people, maintenance, and deck movements can be organized at scale. That efficiency is operational as well as financial: the flight deck is a tightly choreographed system in which mistakes can have fatal consequences.
Notable Point · 3:47-6:10
Why cheaper sea-control carriers could not replace a supercarrier
The apparent savings of a small sea-control carrier came from accepting a narrower mission, while large decks gained efficiency by coordinating 60 to 100 aircraft.