Clarke's account of the US battleship and fleet-signaling debate

Is the US battleship discussion about status, or an actual combat requirement?

Clarke describes it as theoretical and partly about status, then relates it to his interpretation of the Navy's deployment options.

Asked whether a new American battleship would be a status symbol or a combatant, Clarke describes the idea as theoretical and partly about status. His explanation then concerns fleet structure and the signals conveyed by deploying different ships. He characterizes the available steps as too concentrated around Arleigh Burke destroyers, carrier groups, and Marine amphibious groups. A ship between a destroyer and a carrier group is his proposed additional level of presence. He also discusses the political associations of the words cruiser and battleship and contrasts China's Type 055 and Type 052D as visibly different deployments. These remarks describe his interpretation of the debate, rather than an announced procurement decision.