Hey, Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth . . . I just found something you can cut in the Pentagon budget.

Photo above - World War 2 ends with Japan's surrender on a US battleship. The US is now bringing back a pair of 1940's era battleships to bolster our nation's defenses. Not a joke . . . for real.

Isn’t it enough that we have ELEVEN aircraft carrier groups? Each with an entourage of more than dozen support ships guarding the big enchilada? Carriers can't survive 5 minutes without submarines, guided missile cruisers, destroyers, frigates, and who knows what else.

Now a pair of 80 year old battleships are returning to duty. Commissioned in 1942-44, the Wisconsin and Iowa. Entered active duty before the end of World War 2. Before the invention of broadcast television and the hula hoop.

Generals (and admirals) always spend their careers preparing to re-fight the last war. Apparently we are getting ready for a repeat of World War 2. The Wisconsin and Iowa are equipped with 18 inch guns, the largest ever fitted to any ship. These behemoths can hit targets up to 24 miles away. Unless someone fires a cruise missile in their direction first - range 1,000 miles. Remember to watch out for torpedoes, too!

The Russians are using legacy "capital ships" against Ukraine. But a Russian heavy cruiser was destroyed almost immediately by a homebuilt Ukrainian drone. Apparently, Russia thinks it’s refighting World War 2 also.

Attention please, outgoing Biden administration (and incoming Trump administration). World War 3 has already begun. The weapons are hacking, infrastructure attacks, disabling GPS and cellular networks. Using cheap orbital payloads to kill military satellites which have no defense, and no way to shoot back. Puleeze . .. we don’t need two battleships, and the flotilla of support vehicles each will need.

The pentagon has 490 generals, and at least 62 admirals. The incoming Trump administration plans to “transform” America’s defense by forcing a bunch of them to retire. I humbly suggest that leaving the Iowa and Wisconsin in mothballs go to the top of the our spending cuts.

I’m just sayin’ . . .

Iowa and Wisconsin Battleships Return to Service: A Controversial Move Amid Evolving Naval Strategy

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Avectoijesuismoi · 36-40

The alternative solution is to build to completely NEW Battleships with all the tech available that would be somewhere in the region of at a rough guess $ 3-8 billion each

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@Avectoijesuismoi those are called "guided missile cruisers". they fell out of favor because the Arleigh Burke destroyers pack the same firepower, travel faster, and cost way less. You don't need a long keep to launch cruise missles.

Avectoijesuismoi · 36-40

@SusanInFlorida I was proposing to build two modern versions of what would aesthetically look like the USS Missouri and be pleasing on the eye, that would have all the big guns on the decks, but have lots of modern technology. They would not even have to have any real benefit to being around, but it would look good on the ocean with the Ensign flying on the stern and with all those fine young men lined up along the deck in their whites when it is in port so the Admiral and the President can go do one of those inspection things and then have a BIG RECEPTION thing onboard with many guests and show off their big toy with the guests being wined and dined so it sort of has a purpose.
A budget of $ 3-8 billion should cover building each one.

It is the sort of scenario where you have the car Polished and Valeted then park it on the drive, you don't really gain anything much by doing it, but it looks nice.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@Avectoijesuismoi what would you aim the guns at? something within 24 miles, but which DOESNT have cruise missles to fire back?

Avectoijesuismoi · 36-40

@SusanInFlorida I didn't say anything about using it to shoot at anybody or anything, I said it would be nice to look at and would make a good impressive venue for the President or the Admiral's to use to entertain and show off their BIG BRAND NEW BATTLESHIP.
Battleships look impressive when they have all those other ships around sailing across the Ocean
Not everything has to actually serve a useful purpose, sometimes it is just about it looking good
I would far rather look at a BIG Battleship than an Aircraft Carrier the former is always aesthetically pleasing on the eye.

Avectoijesuismoi · 36-40

@SusanInFlorida Yes it costs a lot to build one, but at least you get something at the end that is nice to look at even if Military wise it has no real benefit