But the fact is, the BBs were build much stronger than today's DDGs and they could take a lot of punishment. What Reagan did to the four BBs in the 1980s was very smart. Not only did he get strong combatants for that day (this was pre-VLS days and so 32 Tomahawks on one platform was a large number, not to mention 16 harpoons) and he also scared the Russians.
Later reports (after the fall) showed that the Soviets were worried about the modernized Iowa class. With their Tomahawks and Harpoons, and their heavy armor they were going to be a serious threat to the Soviet surface fleet and the Russians knew what kind of punishment those vessels could take.
So, by act of Congress they are held in some readiness, just in case. I doubt they will ever go to sea again as commissioned vessels. But they were good to have around...and no Tomahawk or other missile, short of one of our air dropped Daisy Cutters or later varieites of the big bombs could do as much conventional damage as that 16", 2000 lbs of HE. Our guided missile warheads are very small by comparison.
Anyhow, It was not muy intent to indicate that they are modern vessels and they are certainly expensive to operate because of all of their old machinary, engines, etc.
The new Zumwalt Class DDGs are meant to replace their fire support misison with their two 155mm Naval Guns which can fire the new Long Range munitions 70-80 miles and GPS accurate...and fast enough to equate to two or three batteries of land based 155mm Howitzers. They will be the new, modern Battleships, if you will, but also carrying 80 VLS tubess for anything from SM IV anit-air missiles to Tomoahawks, to the new Tactical Tomahawks, to VLASROC, etc.
I agree with you about Reagan. He refitted the Iowa class with 32 Tomahawks, 16 harpoons and 4 CIWS as a response to the Soviet Kirov class battlecruisers. The AMAZING thing about the Zumwalt is its integrated power system. It can divide 78 MW between between propulsion and power to the ship’s electronic systems. The Burke destroyers can only produce 7.5 MW of power.