U.S. Navy Iowa-Class Battleships: Could They Really Make a Comeback?
Iowa-Class battleships were hard ships to keep running, even during the late Cold War when they remained youthful relative to today’s elderly vessels. A comeback in 2024, and in short order, would not be easy.
No political impetus, no skilled specialists, no realistic operational scheme, and no material support. Our one-year thought experiment doesn’t quite end up in Hollywood territory in terms of plausibility. But close.
Let the battleships lie.
About the Author: Dr. James Holmes
Dr. James Holmes is J. C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College and a Faculty Fellow at the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs. The views voiced here are his alone.
