[BroJoeK]

Tallguy: "Just to keep things 'apples for apples' the cost of a ww2 CV and it's air group are a fraction of what they cost today."

Actually, no.
The new Essex class carriers in 1942 cost circa $80 million which, in today's money, can be calculated (depending on methodology) as anywhere from one to eight billion dollars.

That's roughly the cost of today's Nimitz class carriers, maybe 20% less than the new Fords, ten of which planned for completion over the next circa 25 years.

The difference, of course, is that in 1942 the US was ramping up to spend about 40% of our GDP on defense, whereas today that number is more like 3%.
40% of GDP can buy dozens of carriers with over 1,000 major combat ships.
3% of GDP buys... not so much.

[central_va]

>>>>1942 cost circa $80 million.

Reference?

[central_va]

The USA is basically an island nation, a huge one but with no real land threat. A serious argument could be made that the USA doesn’t need much of an Army at all. All defense spending should be on the Navy and the Marines. The Navy could take over the Air Forces functions also.