I didn't think the Midway class could handle the F-14. I know that they had the F-4 Phantoms, but then later used the F/A-18.
We did. Not very well, but we did. The F-14A dates the F/A-18 by a number of years. In recent years, the 14's, A-6's and A-7's have been replaced by F/A-18's.