Capital ships once let regional powers police their own waters

Britain once acted as the senior member of a wider group of maritime powers, whereas the United States later became the lone constable expected to be everywhere. Historically, countries from Argentina and Brazil to Greece, Turkey, Italy, and Australia acquired or pursued large capital ships for training, status, operations, and regional policing. That history supports renewed investment in balanced fleets and large surface combatants, although a battleship would not replace the flexibility of a carrier group. A serious obstacle is the missile industrial base, because one such ship could require more missiles than some European surface fleets currently carry.