The US Navy Almost Built a 62,500-Ton 'Medium' Aircraft Carrier. The Nimitz-Class Nuclear Carrier Made Sure She Never Sailed

The U.S. Navy nearly pursued a “medium” aircraft carrier concept in the late 1970s, but it never sailed. In 1977, the Ford administration approved plans to replace the expected fourth Nimitz-class carrier with two conventionally powered CVVs, displacing about 62,500 tons and measuring 912 feet at the waterline with a width of 256 feet. The Government Accountability Office said costs, vulnerability to improved Soviet anti-carrier weapons, and uncertainty about future technology drove the decision. The design was to carry about 55–65 aircraft, use two steam catapults, and make roughly 28 knots.