Originally Posted by Blademaster

The problem with the IOWA class battleships is not the guns, it is the support system structure that is required to maintain the ships. As often so quoted, "Amateurs think tactics, Professionals think logistics"

It would be more cost effective and better performance if they just buy merchant ships and take the 16 inch guns off the battleship and place on the ships and rig the ships to take the vibration and shock of those guns firing.

As Bismarck showed, there are other ways of disabling battleships. The mighty ship was severly disabled by having its rudder damaged.

The IOWA ships cannot defend adequately against air launched torpedoes in today's modern naval warfare.