Clarke identifies amphibious forces as one source of continuing American interest in large naval guns. In his account, the scale of potential landings explains why those forces have retained an interest in heavy fire support. He connects that demand with the long retention of the Iowas and with attempts to provide a replacement, including Zumwalt. His criticism is that the fire-support need remains unresolved despite changes to the ship programs.
Notable Point · 10:51:38-10:52:54
Amphibious fire support in the American large-gun debate
The later follow-up attributes continued interest in heavy naval guns to amphibious fire-support requirements.