From what i understand the best types of ships you want to have for say defending trade boats are aircraft carriers.
Nothing on the seas can
project power like an aircraft carrier. And, so far, no other country can do it as well as us, though the chicomms are going to try their damnedest, they ain't there quite yet. It takes a lot more than building the ship, it takes practical institutional knowledge to effectively use the ship.
Anyone interested might enjoy some James Hornfischer books on the Navy in WW2 through parts of the Cold War (old boy died before
Who Can Hold the Sea was properly finished, and it's a damned shame). I always recommend Hornfischer as an
accessible and human historical writer for newbies to the subject. You will not find him dry, I'll wager, you will laugh, you may even cry. He puts a much needed
human perspective into the story that most people are completely ignorant of. Well researched and witty, highly engaging, I can't recommend him enough. I bought his first book
The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors on a lark shortly after it came out, and I was
hooked.