Q&A · 3:50:00-3:51:09

Which navy might build the next battlecruiser?

Russia is judged the likeliest navy to pursue a very large nuclear surface combatant as a status ship.

Question

Which navy is most likely to reintroduce a battlecruiser?

Short answer

Russia is the suggested candidate, because nuclear propulsion fits its expertise and a large surface ship could provide a status asset.

Notes

Russia is the suggested candidate for a future surface combatant large enough to justify nuclear propulsion. The reasons are continuing difficulty with turbine production, existing nuclear expertise, and a desire for a status ship while a new carrier remains unlikely. A very large nuclear-powered escort would fit those industrial strengths. This is a prediction about the form a future Russian prestige project could take.