[PIF]

At one point, Nick Wade argues that the US needs a battleship to make things effective.

[AdmSmith]

Yes, he described the technology of the 1980s: Operation Earnest Will – the US convoy escort mission through the Gulf in 1987-88 – established what it actually requires: three to four dedicated escort vessels, with a supporting force behind them including a battleship, a carrier with F-14 and F/A-18 aircraft, and AWACS coverage.