Future cruiser guns and an unresolved railgun calibre

Would future US cruisers return to 8-inch guns or retain 5-inch guns?

No firm choice is offered before a cruiser programme exists; the related railgun recollection remains unconfirmed.

Choosing between 5-inch and 8-inch guns first depends on a future cruiser programme being built. The recollection that the railgun work involved an 8-inch weapon remains uncertain, with 6 inches also considered. A later correction acknowledges that the calibre could not be confirmed. Reduced publicity is interpreted speculatively as either failure or a decision to continue development less openly; it does not establish the programme's actual status.