How quickly could the United States or United Kingdom field a functional battleship in the Pacific?
Short answerAbout five years to commission and six to seven to deploy, assuming yard and armor-production capacity are rebuilt in parallel.
NotesA cold start would require roughly a year for design while suitable yard capacity was prepared. Industry would need to relearn production of ship-scale armor rather than vehicle-scale protection. Commissioning might take about five years, with another one or two needed for operational deployment, and the program would need multiple ships to justify its industrial and support base.