How would you modernize the Iowa-class battleships today?
Short answerDo not; the necessary industrial and machinery restoration would cost too much for the capability returned.
NotesReturning an Iowa to service would require major propulsion work and the restoration of industrial capacity to reline or replace its guns. The cost is judged potentially comparable to building a new supercarrier, before allowing for the ships' status as museums. Main-battery blast would restrict where additional missiles and sophisticated sensors could be installed. If reactivation nevertheless went ahead, the proposed role would resemble the previous modernization: a heavily armed presence ship leading a surface action group. Possible changes include modern Harpoon missiles, limited Standard missile capability, and replacement of most old 5-inch mounts with a modern mount on each side. That package would still depend on first making the machinery and main guns serviceable.