Well, the Small craft would be a better bomber - more range, more payload. But its not going to show well if it gets bounced by a heavy ASF loaded for bear - more agile, and far more anti-fighter mojo than an ASF.
Now, to get a good intercept and pk, the ASF would have to be big, well armed, reasonably agile, and long ranged. Such an ASF would itself be solid against other ASFs, but probably not optimized for the dogfighting role.
So, in short:
Small Craft: Backfire, B-52, B-1. Alternately, Torpedo Bombers.
Heavy Fighters/Fleet Defense Fighters: Name your favourite big brawny twin engine fighter. I like F-14, but I blame boyhood and Kenny Loggins. Alternately, big radial US Carrier Planes circa WW2
Dogfighters/Cheap Superiority: Mig 21, F-16. Alternately, Mitsubishi’a Most Famous Aircraft.
Now of course, space in 2400 is not the North Atlantic GUIK in the early 80s, but its a reasonable starting point.
RE: Counterintuitive - think ‘Magazine Space’, not ‘Cargo’. For Very Good Reasons, naval aircraft dont hang around with the weapons hanging off of them, or right next to them on deck.