The Current Status Of The Iowa Class Battleships.

The Current Status Of The Iowa Class Battleships.

The USS Wisconsin
U.S.S. Wisconsin (BB-64) firing a massive broadside
"We have been at considerable risk in naval surface fire support since the retirement of the Iowa-class battleships . This situation will continue until the DD 21-class destroyers join the fleet in strength.
Statement of General James L. Jones (USMC) to House Armed Services Committee
We have faced considerable risk in naval surface fire support (NSFS) since the retirement of the Iowa-class battleships and this risk will continue for the foreseeable future.
Statement of General Terrance R. Dake (USMC) to House Armed Services Committee

Urgent details about the possibly illegal and unnecessary move of Iowa to Suisan Bay
CLICK HERE

Help bring the Iowa and Wisconsin to back active service!!
The main sponsor of this effort is a group of individuals called the United States' Naval Fire Support Association or USNFSA. They have a website with many of the statistics that can be used to see whether these ships should be back in service or not.
Click Here!!
Drop in and take the tour of their website, learn about the capablities of these great ships and what is being done to get them back in action. Drop the webmaster a line and see what you can do to help.

or e-mail
Senator John Warner at senator@warner.senate.gov (Chairman Senate Armed Services Committee)
or Congressman Floyd D. Spence (Chairman House Armed Services Committee)
and tell them why you think the Iowa and Wisconsin should or should not be back in active service.
You can also try contacting your own representative.

Iowa Class Status as of 15/03/01
Stop by the discussion board at
http://www.boards2go.com/boards/board.cgi?user=iowa for even more information

BB61 Iowa was initially moved to the Naval Education And Training Center, Newport, RI (NETC)
She was reinstated on the Naval Registry in Class B Mobilization status on Jan.4/99
The Iowa contrary to some writings is in very good condition
Her #2 turret that was damaged from a fire in 1989, was almost completely repaired and almost everything needed to complete the repairs are being stored inside the turret.
Urgent details about the possibly illegal and unnecessary move of Iowa to Suisan Bay
CLICK HERE

BB62 New Jersey has been removed from the Naval Registry Jan.4/99 for use as a ship museum
The New Jersey is moored at Philadelphia Naval Inactive Ships Facility.
U.S. Navy Secretary Richard Danzig notified members of Congress that he has approved a plan to turn the ship into a floating museum off Camden, N.J., near the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.
The New Jersey is now docked at Camden, New Jersey and is beginning refurbishment.

BB63 Missouri has been donated to Pearl Harbor for use as a ship museum
She opened for tours January 29,1998, click here for details

BB64 Wisconsin was reinstated on the Naval Registry on Feb.12/98 and along with the Iowa is
The Wisky was moved in October, 1996 from the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia to Norfolk Naval Shipyard, where it has been moved several times a year within the yard to make room for active fleet ships undergoing maintenance availabilities.
Norfolk, Va., May 31, 2000 — The battleship Wisconsin is towed from the Naval Station Norfolk's Pier 21 to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in preparation for final transit to the Hampton Roads Naval Museum in downtown Norfolk, Va. The ship is expected to be opened as a museum in December 2000.
While at Naval Station, the ship will maintain it's inactive status.

For complete details on the Iowa's goto:
http://www.warships1.com/USbb61_Iowa.htm

Special Notes;

The Naval Surface Warfare Center in Louisville,KY (The In-Service Engineering Agent for the battleship's weapons systems) has been asked to put a cost estimate together for reactivation.

The GAO (General Accounting Office) has been asked to do a study on the USN's present and future abilities for gun fire support, this includes the question of whether the USN should reactivate two battleships until the new weapon systems are available to the fleet (estimate by the USN 2008-2009, in reality 2015-2020+)
#1 Battleship Readiness Report April 12,1999
#2 Naval Fire Support Programs And Costs July 11,1999
#3 Evaluation of the Navy's 1999 Naval Surface Fire Support Assessment September 14,1999

Some Information About Fire Support and Battleships
Article in Armed Forces Journal International April 8,1999	Article in Navy Times July 26, 1996
DD-21 Homepage (The Possible Future of Fire Support)	ERGM (N86) Homepage (Extended Range Guided Munition)
Naval Center for Cost Analysis (VAMOSC) Statistics On Operating Costs Of US Naval Ships
Are Battleships Obsolete?- Paul Miles
Are Battleships Obsolete? Hardly! (reply to above post)- Dave B.
Aerial Dominance Over Battleships: A Reality Check- Dave B.
Alleged Shell Dispersion In Lebanon - Tracy Ralphs, CBW
Staffing Requirement Plan For The Iowa's. - John Schultz
Battleship Requirment Process- Andy Pico
Battleships Are Flexible (reply to a post) - John Schultz
Full Speed Ahead and Crash Stops on Iowa Battleships - R. A. Landgraff 01/06/00
Stagger Step Welding - R. A. Landgraff 12/18/98
Sea "Plow" Characteristics Of Iowa Class - R. A. Landgraff 12/08/98
The Crack in Missouri's Barbette III - R. A. Landgraff 10/14/99
Do Battleships move sideways when they fire? - R. A. Landgraff and Greg Locock 06/27/99
The Status of The Iowa's Propulsion Systems - R. A. Landgraff
Status Of Battleships After Donation As Museums - R. A. Landgraff
Preservation Techniques Onboard The Battleships - R. A. Landgraff
Day To day Events Of Missouri And Wisconsin During Desert Storm - Guy Derdall, Mike Hansen
Kamikaze Hit On Missouri - R. A. Landgraff 12/08/98
Speed Thrills II - Max Speed of the Iowa Class Battleships - Tony DiGiulian 04/29/99
Technologies-Over The Horizon Missiles Problems- Andy Pico
The Effects of Underwater Explosions - Nathan Okun 03/13/99
Reply To A Post Concerning Under-Keel Torpedo hits - R. A. Landgraff
Torpedo Defensive Systems of WWII - Joseph Czarnecki 11/05/99
Skeg Design - Stuart Slade 12/19/98
Shake, rattle and Roll (Vibration in ships) - Stuart Slade 12/18/98
Big Propellers - Stuart Slade 12/18/98
Armor Plate Types - Nathan Okun 12/19/98
Defeating Face-Hardened Armor - Nathan Okun 06/10/99
Projectile AP Caps - Nathan Okun 01/12/00
Ballistic Tests on the IJN Shinano's Turret Face Armor - Nathan Okun 08/31/99
Projectile Dynamics - Bill Jurens 10/06/99
How to Hide a Task Force - Andy Pico 06/02/99
Effects On Ticonderoga Class Cruiser U.S.S Princeton After Hitting Mine - Stuart Slade
Nathan Okun's Naval Gun/Armor Data Page
More interesting articles on battleships and other ships can be found by clicking here

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