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To: jpsb
Yeah oh really. Your own argument shows you know it to be true also.

and can also carry Tomahawk and Harpoon missiles as we see here with the Missouri firing a Tomahawk, the first shot of the Gulf War 1.

If the battleships were not retrofitted to fight more like destroyers and cruisers their survivability in a modern sea engagement would be zero, even if they had 1000 sixteen inch guns. Which was your original post I commented on.

Destroyers have 16 inch guns?

You'd never get into gun range of Burke class destroyer. While I appreciate all the support and love you ex gunnersmates have for your big guns I will just remind that at one time the Trebuchet could knock down fortified walls at thousands of yards range and were greatly feared siege instruments. So much so that great cavalry charges were mounted specifically to take them out at the beginning of medieval engagements.

94 posted on 06/20/2009 10:38:00 AM PDT by Kudsman (A lifetime of public service = a lifetime of getting serviced by the public.- Mark Steyn)
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To: Kudsman
Ok let's get real here for a few moments.

Battleships are very expensive weapons systems which is why they are no longer deployed. Bang Vrs Buck. Destroyers on the other hand are cheap, but have no where near the Bang of a battleship. Bean counters rule the world. lol. The sixteen inch guns of an Iowa class battleship were designed in the 1930's, a 2010 design would produce a gun capable of 100 mile range, add GPS targeting and rocket assisted fight and you have a naval weapon system far far superior to anything other then an aircraft carrier.

Survivability depends on two things, speed and strenght (armor). An Iowa class battle ship was very fast, 30 plus knots and it had 18 inches of armor plating. It took everything the Japanese could throw at it and took only minor damage in WW2.

All naval surface ships depend on air superiority, if the enemy can control the air above the battlefield no surface ship can survive. However if we can control the airspace then a modern battleship will deliver more killing power then all the destroyers in the world combined. Just ask any nam vet about fire power of the New Jersey.

95 posted on 06/20/2009 11:18:41 AM PDT by jpsb
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