Q&A · 28:33-29:26

Nuclear strike cruisers in the 600-ship Navy

A 600-ship Navy counterfactual asks whether nuclear strike cruisers could have become long-lived command and presence ships instead of reactivated battleships.

Cruisers Naval Nuclear Propulsion Naval Procurement US Navy

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Question

What if the 600-ship Navy plan built strike cruisers instead of reactivating battleships?

Short answer

The US Navy would likely gain powerful, long-lived nuclear cruisers with upgrade room and lasting presence value, potentially encouraging allies to consider equivalents.

Notes

Large nuclear strike cruisers would give the US Navy ships with endurance, upgrade space, and long service lives. Their presence could also encourage Britain and France to consider comparable vessels if the concept proved useful.