Postwar navies still possessed reserve battleships, but new construction faced both an industrial premium and the absence of Soviet equivalents. The Kirov class briefly supplied enough of a challenge for the United States to reactivate the Iowas, yet that did not create a lasting case for new ships. Large and visually distinctive combatants such as Kirov and Zumwalt could still carry diplomatic presence as well as combat power. As missiles, aircraft, and other platforms assumed battleship roles, however, that value no longer outweighed the cost of a new battle line.
Chapter · 22:22-25:25
Cost, capability, and the missing peer threat
Battleships became unattractive when their rising cost met duplicated capabilities and no opposing battle line strong enough to justify them.