Battleship survivability beyond armor thickness

Armour is only one measure of a capital ship's ability to survive. Modern and fictional designs may depend on hard- and soft-kill countermeasures, stealth, compartmentation, or speed, while very large hulls remain conspicuous targets. The outward-facing Galaxy class is contrasted with the smaller Niagara class, whose internal focus and ability to accept combat upgrades make it closer to the battleship model used here. The two designs separate a multi-role presence ship from a concentrated combatant and keep target size, mission, and defensive method in the same assessment.