Does the Past Have a Place in the Future? The Utility of Battleships in the Twenty-First Century

This thesis examines the Iowa class battleships and whether they hold utility for the future. There is a myriad of writings concerning the history of the battleships and the arguments both for and against. The author uses this history to determine the key capabilities that a battleship provides and then identifies and reviews the arguments both for and against continued battleship service. This is then used to develop a comparison model that examines the battleship's possible strategic and tactical utility in future geopolitical climates. Keying in on the unique capabilities of the battleship, a comprehensive review is conducted to validate these capabilities against demonstrated wartime capabilities and the capabilities of current and proposed battleship replacements. Finally a cost effectiveness comparison is completed to determine: "Is there utility in bringing back the battleships?" and if so, "Is it great enough to warrant the associated costs?" The study found that there were key battleship capabilities exhibited that enable them to greatly contribute to operations in the littorals. While the Navy recognizes the need to fulfill these capabilities, their attempts over the past few years have not been fruitful and will not be met adequately until 2015 with the vertical gun system (VGAS). Because of this capability vacuum, the author concludes that there is at least temporary utility for the battleship return until other systems have been tested and fielded to the fleet.

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