[fireforeffect]

For shore bombardment, something like the old Baltimore class light cruisers would work. 15 155mm (6.2 in) guns in 5 turrets. Especially if you use some of the auto loading equipment under development. The ammunition is in inventory and modern powders are too. Make them gas turbine powered.

Another option would be to build a ship armed with the MLRS rocket system. Navy ship crew and Marine/Army gunnery crew. Again gas turbine. This gives some good stand off range. ATACM's with BATs would hurt a FF or DD and give any phalanx a brain seizure.

Either system would be relatively cheap. All the ammunition is also used by the Army.

Each uses existing technology.

[Wombat101]

Excellent point, however, the survivability of the platform is an open question. Thos Cleveland hulls were not all that great. In fact, the Clevelands were a very bad design, being top heavy and prone to roll when firing all out, which affected accuracy.

I like your MLRS soultion, but I recall that experience with rocket-launching ships was very bad at Omaha Beach, Okinawa and Iwo Jima. Again, the stability issue loomos large. If someone could knock that problem, it might work. Personally, I'd rather see that solution applied to a brown-water vessel, capable of moving close inshore and up rivers.

[Cheapskate]

Didin't the Baltimore's have 8" guns?

[Bryan]

That was the Quincy-class that had 15 six-inch guns.