Quote:
Originally Posted by Bishie2
With the rising threat from ISIS and North Korea I think that our battleships in the United States should be reactivated as a show of force and as a fear factor.
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You're not thinking this through at all, you just focus on the superficial benefits, neglecting the issues this proposal has in tow.
First of all, reactivating them would require extensive repairs, refit, the training of crews and thorough shakedown cruises - which might take years, approval of congress - and billions of dollars.
For what?
To throw a few 16" rounds onto some beach, which can be done faster, better and ultimately cheaper by multiple other means, be it ships, subs or planes? And who says a show of force is even useful in this scenario?
I don't think America needs to prove much when it comes to military might, do you?
And do you think NK doesn't know that either?
Meanwhile ISIS is falling apart anyways and why fear an old BB that can't reach you in-lands anyways, when the real terror lurks somewhere above, able to strike anywhere, anytime, precise as a scalpel?
And let's say there's going to be war with NK and one of their Diesel subs will have a lucky day, killing the close-to-shore Missouri that's busy shelling some unworthy targets, only to play the good old
"America, fantastic, yeah!" song?
What a devastating blow that would be - and I'm not even talking loss of life, I'm talking about the death of a symbol.
Sailor Steve said it best when he compared BBs to Greek heroes.
Again, think it through, it makes no sense at all. In 2017, no one's gonna be impressed by a rusty 16" gun platform with a few tomahawks anymore, not even NK.