Build a mega floating island thats at least a mile long.
It would have skyscraper tall towers for railguns or other line of sight weapons. High enough that they would reach past the curvature of the earth, plus it protects the base from similar counter laser or railgun much lower that cannot shoot past the horizon at sea level.
Nothing else. Minimal manpower onboard, not really a ship but does have propulsion, definitely can handle the largest aircraft. Just a psychological point of extreme power.
Like a floating Death Star. But with no exhaust port weakness.
“... floating island thats at least a mile long. ... tall towers ... reach past the curvature of the earth, ... definitely can handle the largest aircraft ... a psychological point of extreme power. ... “
Too small for the largest aircraft. They need runways between two and three miles (13,500 ft) long.
Won’t work with current carrier-based aircraft: they require a vessel speed of over 30 knots to launch - even with steam catapult help. Requires powerful propulsion: limits size & weight of ship.
Directed energy weapons (lasers) haven’t been developed to hit targets so far out. Railguns cannot hit anything so far out either: projectile would require guidance and course-correction subsystems, which cannot survive acceleration of launch.
No “skyscraper” tower can be tall enough: at altitudes of 80,000 ft, SR-71 crews could see 350 miles. Geosynchronous satellites orbit more than 23,000 miles: three satellites are still required to reach evey point on earth.
Geometry beats psychology.