Why is the US Navy interested in battleships again?
Why is the US considering the reintroduction of battleships, which are seen as relics from an era of traditional warfare 🗣⚓️🚢
From Tomahawks to Thunder: The US Navy’s New Quest for Affordable Firepower.
In the past, battleships were the kings of the sea. But with the invention of aircraft carriers and missiles, they became — outdated. The recent war in Ukraine showed the US that it doesn’t have enough ammunition for a big war. So, the Navy is looking for a more cost-effective way to fight. They’re considering using big — battleship guns that can fire many rounds at once, which would be much cheaper than using $2 million cruise missiles.
Missiles and jets use a lot of technology like sensors, data links, and GPS. These systems, known as “kill chains”, can be hacked or jammed. On the other hand, simple shells fired from guns can’t be tricked or stopped. They might not hit the target exactly, but they can cause a lot of damage. This could be useful in situations where the enemy is trying to block our attacks. There have — been attempts to develop new guns and shells in the past, but they didn’t work out. For example, the Zumwalt destroyer, a stealthy advanced ship, carries rocket-boosted shells. But due to high costs, the plan to build 32 of these — ships were cut down to just 3, which made the shells very expensive.
Looking ahead, the Navy might build cheap missile barges, which are unmanned ships carrying lots of missiles. These drone ships could accompany other ships on missions… Alternatively, the Navy might go back to an idea from the 1990s to add more missile tubes to existing warships. Either way, it seems that the belief that high-tech equipment always wins wars is changing. The idea of using a large amount of simple firepower is being considered again…
