A postwar Bismarck would need missiles and new machinery

How should Bismarck be modernised if she survived World War II?

A major postwar refit would replace some heavy guns with missiles, standardise the secondary battery around radar control, and rebuild the difficult boilers.

A refit comparable in ambition to the major British battleship reconstructions must account for the postwar missile era. Some of the original armament would be removed to create space and weight for guided weapons. The mixed secondary battery should be simplified around guns that can use effective radar fire control. Bismarck's individually finished boilers are described as impressive works of craft but difficult systems to maintain consistently. Replacing or thoroughly rebuilding them would improve availability and make the ship supportable in a modern fleet. The result would be a missile-era capital ship rather than a restored 1941 battleship.