Should Massively Armed Battleships Make Another Comeback?

By Kris Osborn,  President, Center for Military Modernization 

(Washington DC) Nuclear-armed Tomahawk missiles capable of attacking at ranges up to 1,700 miles, land attack Tomahawks able to travel 850 miles and even ship-to-ship maritime Tomahawks all armed famous US Navy WWII-era Iowa class battleships. The sheer firepower of the Iowa class, which also included armor-piercing shells, dual-purpose 5-inch guns for surface bombardment up to 10 miles off shore and harpoon anti-ship missiles, is likely a main reason why the US Navy brought the ships back to life during the Cold War in the 1980s. Two Iowa-class battleships attacked Iraq with missiles and 16-inch guns during the Gulf War in 1991. 

The sheer firepower of the Iowa class, which also included armor-piercing shells, dual-purpose 5-inch guns for surface bombardment up to 10 miles offshore, and harpoon anti-ship missiles, is likely the main reason why the US Navy brought the ships back to life during the Cold War in the 1980s. Two Iowa-class battleships attacked Iraq with missiles and 16-inch guns during the Gulf War in 1991.

The Iowa-Class Reboot: Explained

A fascinating issue of Popular Mechanics from June of 1982 details this firepower and explains the rationale for their return, a US Navy development that lasted into the early 90s.

Interestingly, the 1982 magazine article addressed critics of the ships at the time, expressing concern that the large battleships were vulnerable, easy targets, concerns which would likely prove even more relevant today.

In response, the Navy did something quite similar to what is employed today in Carrier Strike Groups, meaning warships such as cruisers and destroyers would surround and “protect” the larger battleship at the center of what the Navy called a Surface Action Group in the 1980s.

A Comeback in 2023?

But what would a comeback look like today? Concerns over survivability and being targeted would seem even more pressing and relevant today, given the advent of enemy longer-range precision weaponry such as anti-ship missiles.