Precision guided munitions make BBs completely obsolete.
While I agree that todays technology does effect survivability (of many weapon platforms) there's a couple of factors that help compensate the BB.
Normally the ship would have air, surface, and subsurface escorts. I don't feel the ship would be any more vulnerable today than other USN Ships. In fact there's the arguement that it could be more survivable because of it's WWII era armor.
When I first joined the Service (don't ask how long ago), the Missouri was visiting San Diego. I visited and stood on the site where the Japanese surrender document was signed.
A couple of years later during Desert Storm I watched the Missouri and the Wisconsin on the firing line together!
Then about five years ago, while on vacation in Hawaii, I took my family to visit the "Mighty MO" at Pearl Harbor. So I'm definitely biased in favor of keeping and even reactivating them.
Modern technology works both ways... during Desert Storm BB's launched Tomahawk Cruise missles! If there's such a thing as rocket assisted artillery (there is), I'm sure there's miriads of things that could be done with the 16 inch projectiles - rocket assisted, gps guidance, you get my drift.
I beg to differ...Precision guided munitions DO NOT make BB's obsolete..Just ask the Kamikazes...Just ask yourself why 60 years after the advent of guided munitions and air power, which was supposed to make them redundant, those ships still came out of mothballs for three other wars. In fact, they might be the only ships afloat that can take that kind of pounding, but that's neither here nor there.
Ollie makes a very good point: BB's make excellent fire support ships for amphibious landings, even though the Marines haven't made one since 1950, it's still nice to have that capability, even in standoff mode. The Iraqis certainly didn't enjoy being on the receiving end of 16" shells either. At present, there are exactly zero ships available for direct fire support, that job being relegated to aircraft. Aircraft, while they can carry an enormous amount of firepower, cannot sustain it for long periods like a battleship can -- planes eventually have to land and refuel.
The knock on battleships, however, is that they are expensive to run and maintain, especially since most of the technology is vintage 1940's and you just can't get that kind of steel or ecpertise anymore -- which is why the Iowa was mothballed for good after it's turret explosion, the guns, and mounts could not be replaced.