Why completed Soviet capital ships would demand a response

Even with unreliable guns, a Soviet battleship would impose a strategic risk that other navies had to answer. Early missiles promised a future solution, though contemporary planners could not count on an unproven weapon to kill a capital ship. Large cruisers or battlecruisers offered an interim counter until guided weapons became dependable. HMS Vanguard or the Alaska class might remain in service for that reason. These ships could also escort carriers and conduct presence missions in ports where committing an aircraft carrier would expose a more valuable asset.