Should America instead invest in other platforms such as submarines? Key point: Just because we have a certain kind of navy now does not mean it is the best one. Perhaps aircraft carriers are too costly and vulnerable and a different fleet structure is needed? Here's a thought experiment: would America build the U.S. Navy currently plying the seven seas if it were starting from scratch? Color me skeptical. If not, what kind of navy would it build, and how can we approximate that ideal in light of budgetary constraints, a slew of legacy platforms that can't simply be scrapped and replaced, and an organizational culture and history that frown on revolutionary change?