Possible successors to the 1920 South Dakota class

What might the US Navy have built after the 1920 South Dakota class if the Washington treaty failed?

It would likely complete the Lexingtons and South Dakotas first; a later design might borrow from Tillman concepts, but funding, design capacity, and politics make the outcome uncertain.

A direct Tillman successor was possible but far from certain. The US government itself promoted the Washington settlement, while postwar politicians were reluctant to fund a building race aimed at outconstructing the Royal Navy. Reductions in naval design-team support had already narrowed the capacity for an immediate new generation. If the conference failed, existing Lexington-class battlecruisers and 1920 South Dakota-class battleships would consume resources first. Only after those programs advanced might some Tillman concepts inform a successor, with the result depending heavily on the politicians then shaping naval requirements.