Battleships

That time the Navy considered flying Harriers off Iowa-class battleships

When you look at the Iowa-class battleships, in a way, you are looking at the ultimate in a surface combat platform. They are huge – about 45,000 tons — they carry nine 16-inch guns and have an array of other weapons, too, from Tomahawk cruise m…

3 times the military brought back ‘obsolete’ equipment

How legendary battleships could come back, and why they won’t

The battleships of yore maintain a special place in the hearts of Navy enthusiasts — and it’s easy to see why. Imagine the massive broadside salvos from the USS Iowa, each hurling 15 shells against an enemy force, smacking Communists wit…

This time-tested battleship survived two World Wars and fired the opening shots on D-Day

People might be onto something when they say things like, “They don’t make ‘em like they used to.” Today, modern…

The 5 largest battleship classes ever built

Sadly, the days of the battleship ruling the oceans are long gone. Battleship classes simply were not designed to fight…

Today in military history: USS Joyce sinks German U-Boat off New York coast

On April 16, 1944, the Coast Guard-manned destroyer USS Joyce sank a German U-boat off the coast of New York….

This was the first time in history that humans surrendered to a robot

The advancement of robotics and artificial intelligence in the 21st century has been exponential. In the defense industry, such technologies…

Awesome footage of the last time US battleships fired in anger

During Desert Storm, a massive portion of America’s firepower came from two floating relics, ships of another time and age that would have to be pulled off of mothballs to take part in the war. These ships, however, provided a massive show of fire …

The 5 most legendary American battleships ever

Battleships were floating fortresses, capable of both dishing out and taking a lot of punishment. America got her first true battleship in 1895 and decommissioned the last one in 1992. Here are 5 among them that earned legenda…

This is what happened to the 9 battleships at Pearl Harbor

The Japanese surprise attack at Pearl Harbor was meant to deal a knockout blow to the American Pacific Fleet. For…

What happens to an Abrams tank if hit by a battleship shell

The M1A2 Abrams main battle tank is arguably the best in the world. Yeah, Russia is generating some hype for the Armata family of tanks, but the Abrams is combat-proven and very hard to kill. <p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelm…

Why US battleships should stay right where they are — in mothballs

There’s a mystique to battleships. Whenever inside-the-Beltway dwellers debate how to bulk up the US Navy fleet, odds are sentimentalists will clamor to retur…

These cruisers were really a pair of mini-battleships

The Alaska-class cruisers are often seen as a waste of resources. At first glance, it is easy to see why. The United States only completed two out of the six planned vessels. One more was launched, but never finished. All three that managed to reach…

The amazing history of US Navy battleships in 19 photos

Naval historians still argue about the legacy of the battleship. Critics call them too vulnerable and too expensive, while supporters laud their sheer offensive capability and awesome firepower.  Whatever the opinions, the battleship will always …

The USS Michael Murphy flies some of the best flags in the fleet

The flying of different flags on naval vessels is a sub-culture in and of itself. Depending on their heritage, culture…

Here are 14 ship names the US Navy needs to bring back to the fleet