How might an allied navy equip the unfinished hull of USS Kentucky if it acquired her in 1958 without engines?
Short answerOnly Britain or France plausibly had the means, and the ship would more likely become a heavy surface combatant with autoloading 8-inch guns and missiles than retain a traditional 16-inch battleship battery.
NotesThe answer begins with the industrial and financial barrier: very few allies could complete and sustain such a hull. With battleships no longer a procurement priority, autoloading 8-inch guns forward and a large missile battery aft would reframe Kentucky around postwar air-defense and strike roles.