The return of the Iowa-class battleships is interpreted here as a necessary American answer to Kirov's public impact. A missile could be more powerful or capable than a 16-inch gun, yet the gun's size conveyed power immediately to an audience unfamiliar with naval weapons. An Iowa could visit a harbor after a Soviet cruiser and look at least as imposing in photographs and ceremonies. In this explanation, only the battleships offered a comparable visible status, making reactivation a response to the diplomatic comparison. The example shows how a Soviet procurement choice could encourage an opponent to spend resources on a contest of public impressions.
Notable Point · 1:12:03-1:13:25
Kirov's political pressure and the Iowa response
Iowa's reactivation provides a proposed political answer to Kirov: a battleship whose size and 16-inch guns could make an equally strong impression in port.