Key Points and Summary on Iowa-Class Battleship Comeback – In the 1980s, the U.S. Navy brought its four iconic Iowa-class battleships—Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin—out of retirement for a “battleship comeback.”
-This was a key part of President Ronald Reagan’s “600-ship Navy” initiative to counter the Soviet Union.
-The venerable warships were extensively modernized, swapping some of their anti-aircraft guns for armored box launchers containing 32 Tomahawk cruise missiles and 16 Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
-They were also fitted with Phalanx CIWS for self-defense. After serving in the Gulf War, they were finally decommissioned in the early 1990s due to high operational costs.
The Big Iowa-Class Battleship Comeback In the 1980s
In the 1980s, during the Cold War, the U.S. Navy experienced a “battleship comeback” with the reactivation and modernization of four Iowa-class battleships: Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin.
This was part of President Reagan’s plan to build a 600-ship navy and counter the perceived Soviet threat. The battleships were upgraded with Tomahawk and Harpoon missile systems, advanced radar and fire control systems, and Phalanx Close-In Weapons Systems for defense against modern threats.
However, their high cost, large crews, and eventual obsolescence in the face of evolving naval technology led to their final decommissioning by the early 1990s, with the ships being converted into museum ships.
Battleships Were The Standard Against Which Navies Were Judged:
The big battlewagons with their massive guns were the standard for the navies of the world. But Pearl Harbor changed all that. The Japanese crippled the Pacific Fleet at harbor during the attack.
Fortunately for the US, its carriers (Japan’s top targets) were not in port. But in the next few months, during the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway, the power of the carrier became clear. The Navy fleets never saw each other.
The day of the battleship was over. By 1947, all but one of the Navy’s battleships were inactive.
In 4 Words: The Navy Feared Russia
The Navy used battleships for on-shore bombardment during the war in Vietnam, but they didn’t play a huge role. Afterward, the ships were once again placed in an inactive mothball fleet.
However, a very public resurgence was about to occur in the 1980s.
President Reagan’s 600-Ship Navy:
President Reagan, influenced by the Falklands War and the Soviet naval buildup following the Vietnam War, sought to expand the U.S. Navy significantly.
The president vowed to make a 600-ship navy a reality. He told U.S. Naval Academy graduates in 1985 that “it is too costly for America not to be prepared” for hostilities and that “the way to prevent war is to be prepared for it.”
“It is about time,” Reagan said, “that those who place their faith in wishful thinking and good intentions get the word.” The Navy would be built around 15 carrier strike groups.
Iowa-Class Battleship Modernization
The Iowa-class battleships were not only reactivated but also modernized with cutting-edge technology for their time, including missile systems.
The battleships had to be refitted to accept Tomahawk missiles. The MK-143 Armored Box Launcher (ABL) canisters were installed. Each Armored Box Launcher carried four missiles, and each of the battleships was fitted with eight ABLs, enabling the Iowa-class to hold and fire a total of 32 Tomahawk missiles.
The Iowa-class battleships also carried the Harpoon Weapons System. The system consisted of four Mk 141 “shock-hardened” quad cell launchers designed to hold and fire the McDonnell Douglas RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile.
Each Harpoon was placed in one of four Mk 141 launchers located alongside the aft stack; eight per side, in two pods of four.
During their modernization in the 1980s, each Iowa-class battleship was equipped with four of the US Navy’s Phalanx CIWS mounts, with two located just behind the bridge and two positioned forward and outboard of the aft ship’s funnel.
Iowa, New Jersey, and Missouri were equipped with the Block 0 version of the Phalanx, while Wisconsin received the first operational Block 1 version in 1988.
Iowa-Class Combat Role
These battleships were used in various roles, including escorting tankers and providing naval gunfire support.
The Navy used a similar concept that they used with their carriers, and surrounded the big battlewagons with several smaller ships that were ‘Surface Action Groups,’ during the Reagan years.
Two Iowa-class battleships attacked Iraq with missiles and 16-inch guns during the Gulf War in 1991.
Obsolescence And Final Retirement
Despite the upgrades, the battleships’ size, high maintenance costs, and the changing nature of naval warfare (with the rise of aircraft carriers and stealth technology) ultimately led to their decline.
The battleships were decommissioned again during the post-Cold War drawdown in the early 1990s. Congress compelled the Navy to reinstate two of them because existing shore bombardment capability would be inadequate for amphibious operations.
However, all four Iowa-class battleships were eventually retired and are now preserved as museum ships, allowing the public to see these iconic vessels. The proud battleships, which were ordered in 1939 and 1940, proudly served their nation through conflicts far and wide. They earned their retirements.
About the Authors:
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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