The U.S. strike cruiser as a sea-control ship

What might the proposed U.S. competitor to the Kiev class have looked like, and how would it be used?

A strike cruiser with Harriers and Aegis could lead surface action groups and provide limited sea control away from a supercarrier.

The proposed U.S. answer to ships such as Kiev could combine a cruiser hull, a flight deck for Harriers, and Aegis air defence. It would serve as the centrepiece of a surface action group rather than replacing a fleet carrier. Organic aircraft would provide limited fighter cover, reconnaissance, and strike reach while the cruiser coordinated the group's missiles and sensors. In lower-threat areas it could function as a de facto sea-control ship, giving the Navy presence without committing a full carrier battle group. The concept remained unbuilt, but its proposed role clarifies the gap between a missile cruiser and a supercarrier.