Why empty VLS weight does not determine a battleship conversion

Removing main turrets creates substantial room for vertical-launch cells, but the amount of reconstruction still determines what can fit. The existing internal arrangement could prevent a converted dreadnought from carrying as many missiles as its overall size suggests. An arsenal ship starts with missile capacity as its principal design purpose, while an Arleigh Burke or Ticonderoga could use its space more efficiently than an adapted battleship. Stability is raised as a question, without a definitive calculation. A quoted open-source estimate gives about 15 tons for eight strike-length Mark 41 cells, explicitly excluding the missiles. That figure describes the launcher structure and does not settle the complete conversion's weight or arrangement.