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At the conclusion of World War II, the Navy sought to create a permanent role for itself in the strategic (nuclear) bombing arena and prove its importance in the nuclear and Cold War eras. The Navy planned to accomplish this task through the use of a newly designed class of ship, the super-carrier. Construction on the USS United States, the first such carrier was cancelled due to uncertainty in defense policy, inter-service rivalry and politics. The Korean war then broke out, giving the Navy ample opportunity to prove the necessity of such ships as the USS United States. Funds began to flow allowing the Navy to build many new super-carriers, beginning with the USS Forrestal. The post World War II era left the different branches of the military squabbling for funds that were growing shorter every year. Strategic bombing capabilities were viewed as the key to acquiring enough funds to literally stay alive. Although the super carrier project was killed, it was resumed and took on a new role, thus saving the Navy from vast r