The closing thought experiment separates navies that could sustain carrier aviation and a broad mix of capabilities from states that might prefer one heavily armed surface combatant. A missile farm with big guns, radar, sensors, and communications could concentrate useful capability at lower cost and with less logistical complexity than an aircraft carrier. Turkey and Greece are offered as examples, while Britain, France, the United States, Italy, Russia, China, and perhaps Brazil might pursue a fuller spectrum. Japan shows how political constraints could alter the choice: in a different postwar path, a large-gun ship might have remained more acceptable than an aircraft carrier.
Chapter · 34:29-36:18
Which navies might retain big-gun ships?
Some navies might choose missile-and-gun ships because they could be cheaper and logistically simpler than carrier aviation while still concentrating sensors, communications, and firepower.