[Jeff Head]

Yep...I would add some Rolling Air Frame missiles (RAMS) for more comprehensive Close in support too.

[Stonewall Jackson]

That would be a good idea. I heard somewhere that the navy was testing a rocket-boosted 16" shell capable of hitting targets almost one hundred miles away. Those shells have a danger-close radius of one thousand yards. Can you imagine coming under bombardment from one or two of these monsters?

Another elderly gunship still in the US arsenal is the old heavy cruiser Des Moines, currently in mothballs in Philadelphia (I believe). While this ship has been out of commission since the 1960's and would require an extensive modernization before it could re-enter service, its nine 8-inch guns are each capable of firing fifty rounds a minute. Her sister-ship Newport News saw service off Vietnam and was deeply feared and respected by the North Vietnamese for her accuracy and firepower.