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Thunderbeast

(3,773 posts)
Mon Dec 22, 2025, 06:14 PM Dec 22

Is We Not Learning?

Big, expensive capital ships are not the battle platforms that they were early in the last century. When several battleships were lost at Pearl Harbor, the Navy was smart enough to not build replacements. They knew in 1941 that carriers and airplanes would be more effective than giant artillery platforms slowly floating offshore. Even the vaunted Battleship Missouri was retired soon after it's re-deployment to Iraq.

Fast forward to present day. While giant aircraft carriers have been very effective, a new generation of armaments have made their protection difficult and expensive.

Ukraine, a country without a navy, has destroyed 1/3 of Russia's floating assets in the Black Sea. Cheap drones have changed the whole seascape of war.

What is the role of "Trump class" battleships in modern military planning.

6 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

Walleye

(43,831 posts)
1. Trump to war so bad, but he doesn't want to take any risks. He won't fight the real villain, Putin.
Mon Dec 22, 2025, 06:16 PM
Dec 22

bucolic_frolic

(54,052 posts)
2. It's to keep the money flowing into Republican portfolios of defense stocks
Mon Dec 22, 2025, 06:18 PM
Dec 22

Nimble they won't be. Too big to maneuver quickly. Sitting ducks.

crud

(1,199 posts)
3. You're not looking at the big picture...
Mon Dec 22, 2025, 06:19 PM
Dec 22

The amount of money to be made, the sweetest of sweetheart deals, the griftiest grift, sitting there for the taking.

rsdsharp

(11,794 posts)
6. To be fair, he advocates for steam powered catapults on carriers.
Mon Dec 22, 2025, 06:32 PM
Dec 22

Apparently believing magnets don’t work underwater, or some such bullshit.

rsdsharp

(11,794 posts)
5. Exactly! The argument between the carrier admirals and the battleship admirals was settled before lunch
Mon Dec 22, 2025, 06:29 PM
Dec 22

on December 7, 1941. It’s no surprise Trump doesn’t know the history, or understand its strategic implications, but everybody in the military generally, and the US Navy in particular does. Yet, apparently, they failed to make the point to Donnie.

Maybe they can make the point to Congress. If not, they can just appropriate a little extra money to paint bullseyes on “Trump class” battle wagons.

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