[Lokisaga]

I agree that this thread should be moved to the General Topics section, but these are my thoughts on an interesting question of naval strategy. The reason no one uses big gun battleships, like the Iowa, anymore has nothing to do with the amount of firepower they can land on a target in a given amount of time (their dps, if you will). It's because of the limited range of that firepower. For example, the Iowa's main 16"/50 cal. guns have a maximum range of 38 km, and fire will be very inaccurate at that range. On the other hand, an F-18 has an operational radius of 720-740 km with a full combat load-out, but this is effectively limited only by pilot fatigue with the addition of in-air refueling. The Tomahawk cruise missile has a range of 1,300 to 2,500 km, depending on sub-type, with pinpoint accuracy. This allows modern aircraft carriers, and guided missile ships, to launch attacks while in a different time zone from their targets, and that range makes them less likely to be engaged and possibly sunk by the enemy. That brings me to my second point. We've talked about the horrendous expense of both aircraft carriers and battleships. Aircraft carriers, and guided missile ships, are seen less likely to be lost in a battle because they stay so far away from the enemy; therefore, they're seen as a better investment. The thinking is that even though a carrier may cost more than a battleship it's less likely you'll have to replace a carrier.