What would a modern 16-inch-gun warship look like, and what could it attack?
Short answerIt would be a shore-bombardment specialist, potentially using railgun technology and large numbers of hardened projectiles to overwhelm or bypass advanced defences.
NotesA modern 16-inch gun is proposed mainly for shore bombardment, especially against heavily defended land targets. A railgun version could increase range and deliver substantial kinetic energy, although no particular muzzle velocity or performance figure is established. Hardened shells are suggested as a cheaper alternative to missiles when laser defences threaten exposed control surfaces. Firing relatively inexpensive projectiles in volume could compensate for individual misses. The possible targets include bunkers, missile installations, and the radar or communications equipment that supports long-range weapons.