Las naves de la Clase Iowa fueron construidas para navegar a la misma velocidad que los portaaviones de escuadra de clase Essex de Estados Unidos. Su batería principal y armas secundarias fueron diseñados para enfrentarse a las naves de la Marina imperial de guerra japonesa, y para bombardeo de costa antes de los desembarcos y asaltos anfibios del ejército de Estados Unidos. Llevaban un arsenal temible de armas antiaéreas para defenderse a ellos mismos y los portaaviones que escoltaban.

USS Iowa (BB-61)

The USS Iowa (BB-61) was commissioned on 1 July 1939, laid down on 27 June 1940, launched on 27 August 1942, and ready on 22 February 1943. The Iowa made a test voyage in Chesapeake Bay before sailing to Naval Station Argentia, Newfoundland to counter the German battleship Tirpitz "Tirpitz (1941)"). Later transferred to the Pacific Fleet, the Iowa saw its first combat in the Battle of the Marshall Islands. He escorted aircraft carriers that launched air attacks on the Mariana Islands and the Palau Islands, later he was present at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. During the Korean War, Iowa bombed North Korean targets at Songjin, Hungnam"), and Kojo"), returned to the United States for maintenance and training exercises before being decommissioned.

Reactivated in the early 1980s, she made several voyages in European waters. On April 19, 1989, an explosion in turret No. 2 of the USS Iowa of undetermined origin killed 47 sailors. The turret remained inoperable when the Iowa was last deactivated in 1990.

In 1999, Iowa was placed in the reserve fleet as a replacement for New Jersey. Erased from the Naval Register on March 17, 2006, the Iowa is docked in Suisun Bay in San Francisco "San Francisco (California)"), until a decision is made on requests to convert the ship into a museum ship.[16]​

[17]​.

USS New Jersey (BB-62)

USS New Jersey (BB-62) was ordered on 1 July 1939, laid down on 16 September 1940, launched on 7 December 1942, and enlisted on 23 May 1943. Her initial crew trained in the Western Atlantic and Caribbean Seas before being transferred to the Pacific theater of operations. In the attacks on Marshal and Gilbert Islands, she protected the aircraft carriers with her anti-aircraft artillery from Japanese attacks. In the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the ship protected the aircraft carriers with its anti-aircraft guns. Then the New Jersey bombed Iwo Jima and Okinawa. During the Korean War, she bombed targets in Wonsan, Yangyang, and Kansong"). After the ceasefire, she conducted training cruises until she was decommissioned. Returned to active service in 1968, New Jersey was near the demilitarized zone of Vietnam, remaining there until 1969, after which she was again decommissioned. New Jersey was in the line of fire in South Vietnam for 120 days. Over the course of his short stay in Vietnam he fired 5,688 16-inch rounds and 14,891 five-inch rounds, far more than he fired during World War II and the Korean War combined.

Reactivated under the US Navy's 600-ship program, New Jersey was sent to Lebanon to protect US interests in the area and provide cover for the Marines, opening fire with her main guns on Druze and Syrian positions in the Bekaa Valley east of Beirut. Last deactivated on 8 February 1991, New Jersey was briefly retained in the Naval Register before being donated to the Home Port Alliance of Camden "Camden (New Jersey)"), New Jersey for use as a museum ship.[18]​.

USS Missouri (BB-63)

USS Missouri (BB-63} was commissioned on 12 June 1940, laid down on 6 January 1941, launched on 29 January 1944, and commissioned on 11 June 1944. Missouri conducted her sea trials off New York and in Chesapeake Bay before being transferred to the Pacific Fleet, where she guarded to US aircraft carriers involved in offensive operations against Japan before being deployed to Okinawa to bombard the island prior to planned landings. After the bombardment of Okinawa, Missouri turned its attention to Honshū and Hokkaidō, bombarding the islands and protecting US aircraft carriers involved in combat operations against Japanese positions. of Japan boarded the battleship to sign Japan's unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers.

After World War II he engaged in training voyages before being sent to Korea with the outbreak of the Korean War. Missouri served two tours in Korea before being placed in reserve in 1956. Reactivated in 1984 as part of the Navy's “600-ship” plan, Missouri was sent on operational tours until being assigned to Operation Earnest Will in 1988. In 1991, Missouri participated in the Gulf War by firing BGM-109 Tomahawk missiles at targets. Iraqis and bombing known Iraqi positions along the coast. Last deactivated in 1992, she was donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association (MMA) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii for use as a museum ship in 1999.[19]​.

USS Wisconsin (BB-64)

USS Wisconsin (BB-64) was commissioned on 12 June 1940, laid down on 25 January 1942, launched on 7 December 1943, and commissioned on 16 April 1944. After trials and initial training in Chesapeake Bay, Wisconsin was transferred to the Pacific Fleet in 1944 and assigned to protect the United States aircraft carrier fleet involved in the Philippine operations until summoned to Iwo Jima to bombard the island prior to the amphibious landing. After landing on Iwo Jima he turned his attention to Okinawa, bombarding the island before the Allied amphibious assault. In mid-1945 the Wisconsin bombed the main Japanese islands, a job it retained until the surrender of Japan.

Reactivated in 1950 for the Korean War, Wisconsin served on two tours supporting South Korea and UN forces by providing artillery support. Decommissioned in 1958, Wisconsin was placed in the reserve fleet at the Philadelphia Naval Yard until being reactivated in 1986 as part of the Navy's 600-ship plan. In 1991, it participated in the Gulf War firing BGM-109 Tomahawks and firing its main artillery at Iraqi formations along the coast. Last decommissioned on 30 September 1991, Wisconsin was placed in the reserve fleet until she was struck from the naval register of ships on 17 March 2006. Docked in Norfolk, Virginia ("Norfolk (Virginia)"), pending a formal transfer of the battleship for use as a museum ship.[20]​.

USS Illinois (BB-65)

It was never finished, it was ultimately scrapped. USS Illinois (BB-65) was commissioned on 9 September 1940 and laid down on 15 January 1945. Construction was canceled on 11 August 1945 when Illinois was 22% complete. It was sold for scrapping in September 1958.[21][22]​.

The Illinois design was called for with an all-welded hull, lighter and stronger than the hull of the four completed Iowa-class ships.

USS Kentucky (BB-66)

USS Kentucky BB-66 was authorized on 9 September 1940 and her keel was laid on 6 December 1944. Construction was suspended on 17 February 1947 with the Kentucky 72% complete. She was informally launched on January 20, 1950 to clear the dry dock for repairs to the Missouri, which had run aground. In 1956, a bow section of Kentucky's hull was shipped in one piece via Hampton Roads, where it was placed on the battleship Wisconsin, which had collided with the destroyer USS Eaton (DD-510)&action=edit&redlink=1 "USS Eaton (DD-510) (not yet redacted)"). Subsequently, Kentucky's engines were salvaged and installed on the fast tactical support ships USS Sacramento (AOE-1) "USS Sacramento (AOE-1)") and USS Camden (AOE-2)&action=edit&redlink=1 "USS Camden (AOE-2) (not yet drafted)"). There were several offers to complete the Kentucky as a missile ship. Ultimately, Kentucky was sold to Metals Co. of Boston for scrap on October 31, 1958. Like Illinois, Kentucky's hull was an all-welded hull, lighter and stronger than the four completed Iowas, and an offer was made to redesign the hull with a Montana class torpedo protection system, an offer which was rejected.[23]​.

Los acorazados de la Clase Iowa estaban posiblemente entre las naves más pesadamente armadas los Estados Unidos. La batería principal de 406 mm podría impactar a casi 39 km de distancia con gran variedad de municiones de artillería, estándares, perforantes, cargas nucleares llamadas Katies (del kt para el kilotón). La batería secundaria de 127 mm podría impactar a 14 km con proyectiles sólidos o de proximidad, y era útil tanto en un papel antiaéreo como contra naves hostiles de pequeño desplazamiento. Cuando estaban comisionados estos acorazados portaban un gran arsenal de artillería antiaérea de 20 mm y 40 mm, que fueron substituidos gradualmente por sistemas de misiles Tomahawk y Harpoon y Phalanx CIWS, y suites de guerra electrónica.

En el momento en que los acorazados de la Clase Iowa fueron desarmados en 1992, había fijado una nueva cota para el armamento del acorazado: ninguna otra clase de acorazados de la historia ha tenido tantas armas a su disposición para el uso contra un opositor.

Main battery

Its main firearm was its 9 cannons of 406 mm and 204 dm long and 108 t, grouped in three towers respectively that could hit targets at 39 km. They were originally designed for two types of ammunition; one armor-piercing for anti-ship work and another high-explosive one for use against unarmored targets and coastal bombardment, being able to use at the end of its life a wide variety of types of ammunition, ranging from armor-piercing to tactical nuclear charges called "Katies" (from the "kt" for kiloton).

Data illustrative of the firepower of these cannons are that when leaving the muzzle of the cannon, the ammunition, 18 dm long and 1225 kg in weight, has an initial speed of 825 m/s, and is capable of penetrating a 9 m thick reinforced concrete wall and at its maximum range, spends a minute and a half in flight.

The turret extends four "Deck (ship)" decks below (turret 1 and 3 decks) or five (turret 2). The lower spaces contain rooms for handling projectiles and storing bags of propellant used to fire the cannons. Each turret required a team of 94 men to operate it.

The turrets are not actually attached to the ship, they sit on rollers, meaning that if the ship were to capsize the turrets would come off. Each one costs 1.4 million dollars, not counting the cost of the cannons.

The turrets are "three-gun," and not "triple," because each gun can be raised and fired independently. The ship could fire with any combination of its weapons, including all nine on its side; contrary to myth, the ship does not noticeably move sideways when firing in this way. The weapons can be elevated from -5° to +45°, moving at a speed of up to 12° per second. The turrets can be rotated 300° at a speed of about four degrees per second and can even be fired behind beyond the beam, in what is sometimes called "over the shoulder". Guns never fire directly ahead.

When it entered service, the average life of the tubes of these cannons was 290 shots due to cellulose nitrate; After World War II, when the US Navy changed the propellant to diphenylamine, the half-life rose to 350 shots. Later it rose even more thanks to the use of various types of waxes.

In its modernization in the 1980s, each turret incorporated a DR-810 radar that measured the speed at the muzzle of each gun, and which made it easier to predict at what speed the shots were successful. Together with the Mark 160 fire control direction and improved popellant, they made these weapons the most accurate on the battleship.

Secondary battery

The ship's secondary battery consists of 127 mm guns in 10 twin mounts, five on each side, and four Mk 37 firing systems. These guns were introduced on destroyers in 1934, but by World War II they had been installed on almost every major US warship.

The secondary battery was designed for anti-aircraft combat. Its effectiveness soon declined as Japanese ship-borne fighters became faster, then rose again towards the end of the war due to an improvement to the Mk 37 firing system and proximity ammunition. During modernization in the 1980s, four twin mounts were removed to make room for the missiles, the two farthest aft and the two middle ones on each side. In the Gulf War, the secondary battery was largely relegated to supporting bombardment and littoral defense.

Each twin assembly weighs 77,399 kg and had a 13-man crew.

anti-aircraft batteries

Since they were designed to escort the United States fleet of fast attack aircraft carriers, the Iowa Class battleships were all equipped with a fearsome arsenal of anti-aircraft weapons to protect the aforementioned aircraft carriers against Japanese fighters and dive bombers.

The 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft gun was one of the most produced anti-aircraft guns of World War II; The US manufactured a total of 124,735 of these weapons. When they were activated in 1941 they replaced the 12.7 mm M2. The Oerlikon 20 mm AA gun remained the primary anti-aircraft weapon of the United States Navy until the introduction of the 40 mm Bofors in 1943.

Arguably the best light anti-aircraft weapon of World War II, the 40-millimeter Boffors AA gun was used on nearly every major warship in the US and UK fleets during World War II from 1943 to 1945.

Combined with hydraulic movement and the Mk 51 fire director for improved accuracy, the Bofors 40 mm gun became a fearsome adversary, accounting for half of the Japanese aircraft shot down between October 1, 1944 and February 1, 1945.[24]

The replacement for the Bofors weapons was the US Navy's Phalanx; during its modernization in the 1980s, each Iowa-class battleship was equipped with four CIWS phalanx mounts. The Iowa, New Jersey, and Missouri were equipped with the Block 0 version of the Phalanx, while the Wisconsin received the first operational Block 1 version in 1988. Becoming the final line of defense (terminal defense or point defense) against anti-ship missiles, the Phalanx's close-in weapon system CIWS is the anti-aircraft/anti-missile weapon in use in the United States Navy. United. Due to their distinctive shape, they have been nicknamed "R2D2s", in reference to the droid R2-D2 from Star Wars. The Phalanx CIWS mount uses an M61 Vulcan 20mm gatling gun to destroy enemy missiles and aircraft.

Phalanx CIWS mounts were used by "Missouri" during the Gulf War during a "friendly fire" incident in which the Oliver Hazard Perry Class frigate USS Jarrett (FFG-33)&action=edit&redlink=1 "USS Jarrett (FFG-33) (not yet redacted)") directed a missile at it.

Missiles

During modernization in the 1980s, three weapons were added to the Iowa-class battleships. The first was the Phalanx anti-aircraft/anti-missile CIWS system. The other two were missiles for use against land and sea targets. NATO's Sea Sparrow was to be installed on the reactivated battleships; However, it was determined that the system could not withstand the effects of overpressure when firing the main artillery.

The BGM-109 Tomahawk ground attack missile was introduced in the 1970s, and entered service in 1983. Designed as a long-range, all-weather missile, the Tomahawk is capable of hitting targets at a much greater range than 406 mm weapons.

Due to the battleship's original 1938 design, Tomahawk missiles would not fit, unless the battleships were physically rebuilt. This realization involved the removal of the 20 and 40 mm anti-aircraft guns installed on the Iowas and the removal of ten 127 mm mounts; thus the stern of the battleships was then rebuilt to accommodate the missile compartments. Each launcher carries four missiles, and each of the battleships was equipped with eight launchers, allowing the Missouri to launch a total of 32 Tomahawk missiles.

The type of Tomahawk carried varies, as there are three basic configurations for the Tomahawk: counter-surface missile (TASM); Land-Attack Missile-Conventional (TLAM-C); and Land-Attack Missile-Nuclear (TLAM-N). Each version is similar in appearance and uses the same body and launcher.

For protection against enemy ships, the Iowa class are also equipped with the Harpoon RGM-84 anti-ship missile system also installed in its modernization of the 1980s, with two 4-missile launchers (one on each side) that are capable of hitting targets at 140 km.

Aside from its firepower, the other defining characteristic of a battleship is its armor. Battleships are generally armored to withstand an attack from weapons of the same size they carry, but the exact design and placement of the armor takes into account factors inextricably linked to the stability and performance of the ship.

The Iowas benefited from advances in steel technology that allowed steel to be forged at higher temperatures and heat treatment, which produced higher quality, stronger, and more elastic armor. The metal was a nickel-steel composite, classified as stainless steel, which can bend easily and resists corrosion. Most armor was manufactured in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia. The exception was the electroplating of the turret, which was forged in a plant specially built for the Iowas: the Charleston Artillery operates in Charleston, West Virginia.

The armor of Iowa-class battleships can be divided into the above-waterline portion, which is designed to protect the ship against fire and aerial bombardment, and below the waterline, intended to protect the hull against mines, missed bombs, and torpedoes.

The armor of the Iowa Class is essentially laid out the same as the previous South Dakota class battleship. Both have an internal main belt, a change from the previous Noth Carolina class that was reluctantly adopted because it was difficult to install and repair.

An external belt that could hold 1,200 kg of 406 mm projectiles would have required a belt slope of 19° and a beam that was too long for the Panama Canal. The underwater armor includes side protection and a triple bottom, both multi-layer systems designed to absorb the energy of an underwater explosion equivalent to 320 kg of trinitrotoluene based on 1930s US Navy assumptions about Japanese weapons.

However, unknown to US naval intelligence, the Japanese 610mm torpedo carried a 490kg warhead. The torpedo defense of the Iowa Class is virtually the same as the South Dakota. Each side of the ship is protected by a tank mounted outside the hull and loaded with fuel oil or other liquid ballast, and an empty interior tank, all from the third deck from the bottom of the ship. Liquid tanks must deform and absorb the shock of the explosion and contain most of the debris from the damaged structure. The internal void is expected to contain any exits into the interior spaces of the ship. The armor strap is designed to stop torpedo fragments from penetrating the second bulkhead; However, tests in 1943 demonstrated structural defects in the system.

La clase de Iowa utilizó varios tipos de aeronaves para el reconocimiento y para marcar sus disparos de artillería. La aeronave inicial fueron hidroaviones que lanzados mediante catapultas de vapor desde la nave, amerizaban al regresar de sus patrullas y eran izadas mediante grúas a la popa del buque, y devueltas de nuevo a la catapulta.

kingfisher

Initially, the Iowas carried the Vought OS2U Kingfisher, a lightly armed two-seat aircraft designed in 1937. They usually carried three aircraft: two mounted on the catapults and a spare on a trailer near the catapults. The Kingfisher's high operational ceiling made it well suited for its primary mission: observing the drop of fire from the battleship's main guns and radio corrections for further firing at the ship. Seaplanes also performed search and rescue tasks for naval aviators who had been shot down or forced to jump into the ocean.

seahawk

In June 1942, the US Navy Aeronautical Office solicited bids from industry for a new seaplane to replace the Kingfisher and the Curtiss SO3C Seamew. It was required that the new aircraft be able to use both the landing gear and the floats interchangeably. Curtiss submitted a design on August 1, and received a contract for two prototypes and five service aircraft in testing on August 25; the first flight of an XSC-1 prototype occurred on February 16, 1944 at the Curtiss plant in Ohio. The first production aircraft was delivered in October 1944, and in early 1945 the single-seat Curtiss SC Seahawk seaplane began to replace the Kingfisher.

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helicopters

Around 1949, helicopters replaced seaplanes on the Iowa-class battleships. They used the top of the No. 2 turret as a staging area until the catapults and cranes were removed, allowing helicopter operations to shift to the stern. The aft 406mm pieces are prohibited from firing when a helicopter is on the aft deck. Helicopters added a logistics role to seaplanes' previous roles of marking for artillery and search and rescue, being able to transport personnel between ship and land. Like the seaplanes before them, the helicopters did not have hangars, but the Iowas had support facilities for five types of helicopters: UH-1 Iroquois, SH-2 Seasprites, CH-46 Sea Knight, CH-53 Sea Stallion and the LAMPS III SH-60B Seahawk.

Mastiff

In 1975, Tadiran Electronic Industries introduced the IMI Mastiff aerial vehicle (UAV) into the Israel Defense Forces (CA). The drone, designed for use in a reconnaissance role, proved its worth during the 1982 Lebanon War, when IDF (Israel Defense Force) personnel used Mastiff drones to assist in the location and destruction of Syrian surface-to-air missile outposts.[25]

. The Mastiff attracted the attention of the United States Navy after a missed American air strike against Syrian air defense assets in Lebanon in December 1983. During the operation, United States aircraft carriers operating off the coast of Lebanon sent 28 aircraft to bomb targets in the Bekaa Valley in revenge for anti-aircraft fire directed at F-14 reconnaissance flights operating from the carriers. The main target of the bombing was a Syrian radar station, but before the planes could reach the target, two American planes were shot down by Syrian anti-aircraft weapons.[27]

In an analysis of the incident, from the Secretary of the Navy. Secretary John Lehman of the Navy determined that the target had been within the range of the battleship New Jersey and its 16-inch (406 mm) guns, but there was no way for the battleship to accurately home in on the targets without an aerial spotter to direct the ship's projectiles to the target.[28]

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Partly due to Israeli success with drones, the US Navy placed a secret order for a Mastiff drone system. Israel responded by lending a drone to the United States in 1984. Pioneer drones launched from the Iowa Class were recovered by a large network.

Pioneer

In 1985, the US Navy, impressed with Israeli successes with the Mastiff IMI aerial vehicle in the early 1980s, began seeking UAVs to provide imagery for gun spotters aboard the recently reactivated battleships.

The result of this effort was the RQ-2 remote-controlled pioneer, which made its first deployment in December 1986 aboard the Iowa. Launched from the stern, assisted by a disposable rocket shortly after takeoff, a pioneer reached speeds of up to 140 km/h with a range of about four hours. The pioneer carried a video camera in a pod under the belly of the aircraft, which transmitted live video back to the ship so that operators could observe enemy actions or the fall of shot from naval artillery.

Given the difficulty of landing the pioneer without suffering damage or inflicting damage to the ship, a large net was placed for recovery. Each battleship could carry eight pioneers, designated Remote Pilot Vehicles (RPVs). The pioneers gained international attention during their use during the 1991 Gulf War, when extensive use was made of them from Missouri and Wisconsin. The latter became the first vessel to be handed over to enemy forces by one of their remotely controlled observation drones.

Los acorazados de la Clase Iowa son los acorazados más rápidos de todos los puestos en servicio, capaces de velocidades sostenidas de 33 nudos y puntualmente mayores. La planta motriz, consiste en cuatro turbinas de vapor de General Electric, cada una acoplada a un eje que hace girar una hélice. Las dos hélices externas en los clase de Iowa tienen cuatro palas y miden ø5,5 m. Las dos hélices interiores tienen cinco palas y miden ø5,3 m. Ocho Calderas de Babcock & Wilcox funcionan a 4136,85 kPa con una temperatura máxima de 468 °C.

Los motores de doble expansión consisten en una turbina de alta presión (HP) y una turbina de baja presión (LP). El vapor primero se pasa a través de la turbina del HP que gira hasta 2100 RPM. El vapor, agotado en gran parte a este punto, entonces se pasa a través del conducto del a la turbina del LP. Para el momento en que alcance la turbina del LP, tiene no más 300 kPa de presión. La turbina del LP aumenta eficacia y energía extrayendo un poco más de la energía del vapor. Después de dejar la turbina del LP, el vapor de escape pasa en un condensador para volver a ser el agua de alimentación a las calderas. El agua perdida en el proceso es substituida por tres evaporadores, que pueden hacer un total de 60 000 galones/día (3 L/s de agua potable). Después de que las calderas "Caldera (máquina)") hayan tenido su parte, el agua dulce restante alimenta a los sistemas de agua potable de la nave para beber, las duchas, el lavado de manos, cocinas, el etc. Todos los urinarios e inodoros de la clase Iowa funcionan con agua salada para conservar el agua dulce. Las turbinas, pueden girar a 2000 rpm; sus ejes conducen a través del engranaje de la reducción en el cual los ejes del propulsor giran a 225 rpm, dependiendo de la velocidad deseada.

Electricity

Electricity powers many systems aboard the ship, including turning turrets and raising weapons. Each of the four engine rooms has two generating turbines manufactured by Westinghouse that serve the ship. Each of them produces 1.25 MW for a total power of 10 MW of electricity. The generators are powered by steam from the same boilers that power the engines. As a reserve, the ship also has two 250 kW diesel generators.

To allow bypassing electrical circuits damaged in battle to be repaired, the lower decks of the ship have a death power system in which cables and wall outlets called crackers can be used to reroute power.

Desde que el primer sistema comercial del radar fue instalado a bordo de los acorazados del acorazado USS Texas (BB-35) "USS Texas (BB-35)"), se ha utilizado el radar para el reconocimiento aéreo, vigilancia de superficie, y como parte del sistema de control de fuego para las armas del acorazado. Desde su modernización en los años 80, los cuatro acorazados de la clase de Iowa también han utilizado los sistemas de las contramedidas electrónicas para la defensa contra los misiles y el aviones enemigos.

Radar

Each of the four Iowa class battleships is equipped with the AN/SPS-49 long-range, two-dimensional, air search radar system.

radar system that provides automatic detection and reporting of targets within your surveillance volume. The AN/SPS-49 performs accurate centroiding of target range, azimuth, amplitude, ECM level background, and radial velocity with an associated confidence factor to produce contact data for command and control systems. Additionally, contact range and bearing information is provided for display on standard plan position indicator consoles. The AN/SPS-49 uses a line-of-sight, horizon-stabilized antenna to provide low-altitude target acquisition in all sea states, and also uses an upspot feature to provide coverage for high jump threats in high diver mode. AN/SPS-49 modes external control and operation command and control system, and processing to identify and flag contacts as special alarms are provided for self-defense support. The AN/SPS-49 has several operational features to enable optimal radar performance: an automatic target detection capability with pulse Doppler process and clutter maps, ensuring reliable detection in normal and severe types of clutter; an electronic counter-countermeasures capability to jam environments; a moving target indicator capability to distinguish moving targets from stationary targets and improve target detection during the presence of disturbance and debris; improving the Media PRF (MPU) to increase detection capabilities and reduce false contacts; and a Coherent Sidelobe Cancellation (CSLC) feature.

The Iowa class battleships are also equipped with the AN/SPS-67 radar set, a short-range, two-dimensional, surface-search/navigation radar system that provides highly accurate surface and limited low-flyer detection and tracking capabilities. The AN/SPS-67 is a solid-state replacement for the AN/SPS-10 radar, using a more reliable antenna and incorporating standard electronic module technology for simpler repair and maintenance. The AN/SPS-67 provides excellent performance in rain and sea disturbance, and is useful in harbor navigation, since the AN/SPS-67 is capable of detecting buoys and small obstructions without difficulty.

The AN/SPS-67(V)1 radar is a fixed two-dimensional pulsed (azimuth and range) radar designed primarily for surface operations with a secondary counter-send-missile and low flyer detection capability. The radar system operates in the 5450 to 5825 MHz range, using a coaxial magnetron as the transmitter output tube. The transmitter/receiver is capable of operation in a long (1 ms), medium (0.25 ms), or short 0.1 ms pulse mode to enhance radar performance for specific operational or tactical situations. Pulse repetition rates (PRF) of 750.1200, and 2400 pulses/sec are used for long, medium, and short pulse modes, respectively.

electronic warfare

In 1967 Egypt sank the Israeli destroyer INS Eilat (K-40) with a Soviet SS-N-2 STYX missile, prompting the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) to consider creating a family of electronic warfare devices to replace and/or complement existing and planned ship surveillance sensors in the early 1970s, a sentiment growing when an analysis of the existing AN/WLR-1 and AN/ULQ-6 systems installed on most ships it was determined that neither system could counter the Counter-Send Cruise Missile (ASCM) in time to prevent a hit. Additionally, the weapons were not effective because there was little early detection of an attack due to the characteristics of ASCMs. The resulting electronic warfare was the SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare Suite | ASCM. This system, specifically the SLQ-32(V)3 variant, was fitted to Iowa class battleships in the 1980s for defense against enemy anti-ship missiles. Countering the threat posed by enemy submarines the Iowa class was also equipped with the AN/SLQ-25 Nixie, a towed torpedo trap used on US and Allied warships. It consists of a towed trap device, and a shipboard signal generator. The trap emits signals to draw a torpedo away from its intended target. The Nixie attempts to defeat a torpedo's passive sonar by emitting simulated ship noise, such as propeller and engine noise, which is more attractive than the ship to the torpedo's sensors. Active sonar is decoyed by amplifying and returning torpedo pings, presenting a larger false target to the torpedo. During their modernization in the 1980s each of the Iowa Class battleships was equipped with the Mark 36 SRBOC|Mark 36 Rapid Offboard Flotation System (SRBOC), allowing the Iowas to carry and fire debris (countermeasure rockets) that, when launched from their tubes, launch missile traps or decoys. Decoys/lures are intended to act as an anti-missile shield by providing false targets for an enemy missile to attack.

During the 1991 Gulf War, the wreckage was blamed for a friendly fire incident between the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Jarrett (FFG-33) and the battleship USS Missouri (BB-63): during an Iraqi missile attack the Missouri fired a flare to confuse the missile, however a CIWS phalanx mount on the Jarrett accidentally fired the flare. launched by the Missouri. The shells from the Jarret hit the Missouri, causing a minor injury to a crew member of the battleship; No serious injuries or damage resulted from the attack.

After World War II, the United States maintained the four Iowa-class battleships in the U.S. reserve fleets. Navy and on several occasions reactivated these battleships for naval gunfire artillery support. The United States Navy has maintained its battleships for a long time afterward. The cost and advent of aviation and precision-guided munitions led other nations to scrap their battleship fleets. The US Congress is largely responsible for this.

Lawmakers argue that battleships' large-caliber weapons have useful military destructive power as smaller, cheaper and faster U.S. cruisers and destroyers lack these weapons. The Navy, which views battleships as too expensive, is working to persuade Congress to allow it to remove the Iowa and Wisconsin from the Naval Registry by developing extended-range guided munitions and a new ship capable of meeting US Navy and Marine Corps requirements for artillery support and shore bombardment.

The US Navy's plan to extend the range of 127 mm weapons on destroyers and guided missiles from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) "USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51)") to USS Ross (DDG-71) "USS Ross (DDG-71)")) with extended-range guided munitions that would allow the ships to fire precision-guided projectiles near 40 km from him. This program was initiated in 1996 with a preliminary cost of US$78.6 million; Since then, the cost of the program has increased 400%. The results of the program have been disappointing, with the original planned operational date from 2001 to 2011. These weapons are expected to not meet the Marine Corps' requirements for range.

The result of the latest effort to design and build a ship as a replacement for the two battleships is the Zumwalt-Class destroyer, also known as the DD(X) or DDG-1000 "USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000)") (referring to Zumwalt's hull number). The DD(X) is to mount a pair of advanced gun system (AGS) turrets capable of firing specially designed long-range shore strike projectiles about 60 miles inland.

The US Navy hopes that sufficient numbers of DD(X) destroyers will be ready to help fill the gap left by battleships by 2018 at the earliest.

DDG Zumwalt 1000 is being developed by the US Navy to serve as the backbone of the surface fleet of the future providing a wide range of capabilities that are vital to supporting the global war on terrorism and major combat operations.

Zumwalt's multi-mission warfighting capabilities are designed to counter not only today's threats, but also potential threats over the next decade. On March 17, 2006, the Secretary of State of the US Navy deregistered the Iowa and Wisconsin from the Naval Registry, thus clearing the possibility of both ships being donated for use as a museum ship. The US Navy thus has the guarantee that the battleships will not be used in any future war, thus turning its attention to the development and construction of the Zumwalt destroyer, the next generation of guided missile destroyers.

This movement has drawn fire from a variety of sources familiar with the subject; Among them are dissident members of the United States Marine Corps, who feel that battleships remain a viable solution to naval fire support, members of the United States Congress who remain deeply concerned about the loss of naval surface fire support that battleships provided, and the number of independent groups such as the United States Naval Fire Support Association (USNFSA) whose ranks frequently include former service members and armed fans of the battleships.

Although the discussions presented by each group differ, all agree that the US Navy does not in good faith consider the potential of reactivated battleships for field use, a position that is supported by a 1999 report from the Government Accountability Office regarding the US Navy's fire support program. In response, the Navy has pointed to the cost of reactivating the two Iowa-class battleships to their unarmed capability.

The Navy estimates costs in excess of $500 million but this does not include an additional $110 million needed to fill powder for the 406 mm guns because a recent survey found the powder to be unsafe. In terms of schedule, Navy program management estimates that reactivation would take 20 to 40 months, given the loss of corporate memory and the shipyard's industrial base. In summary, the committee is addressed that the Navy has given up the battleship's long-range fire support capability, has given little cause for optimism regarding meeting short-term development objectives, and appears unrealistic in planning to support expeditionary warfare in the mid-term. The committee views the Navy's strategy to provide naval surface fire support as high risk, and will continue to monitor progress accordingly of the United States Navy's naval surface fire support program in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2007.

Reactivating the battleships would require a wide range of battleship modernization improvements, according to the US Navy's program management office. At a minimum, these modernization improvements include command and control, communications, computers, and intelligence equipment; environmental protection (including ozone-depleting substances); wastewater alterations; alterations in safety and women at sea; fire protection; a team of modernized sensors (air and surface search radar); and new combat and self-defense systems.

The US Navy's program management office also identified other issues that would discourage the idea of ​​reactivating and modernizing the battleships. For example, the personnel required to operate battleships would be excessive, and the necessary qualifications may not be available. Other issues include the age and unreliability of the battleships' propulsion systems and the fact that the Navy does not maintain the capability to manufacture 406mm artillery components and systems.

Although the Navy strongly believes in the capabilities of the DD(X) destroyer program, members of the United States Congress remain skeptical about the effectiveness of the new destroyers when compared to battleships. Partly as a result the US House of Representatives has requested that the battleships be kept in optimal readiness in case they are needed again.

Congress has requested that the following be taken to ensure that, if necessary, Iowa and Wisconsin can return to active duty:.

These four conditions reflect the original three conditions that the Nation's Defense Authorization Act presented in 1996 for the maintenance of Iowa and Wisconsin while they were in the reserve fleet. These conditions are unlikely to prevent the current plan to convert the Iowa and Wisconsin into museum ships.

Iowa-class battleships have frequently appeared in American popular culture. The Iowa was the centerpiece of the book A Glimpse of Hell: The Explosion on the U. S. S. Iowa & Its Cover-Up, which deals with the events surrounding the 1989 explosion of its turret number 2.[29] In 2001 the book was made into a film starring James Caan and directed by Michael Salomon. MacArthur starring Gregory Peck; in the 1983 television miniseries The Winds of War, starring Ralph Bellamy and Robert Mitchum; and in the singer Cher's video "If I Could Turn Back Time."

The 1992 film Under Siege, starring Steven Seagal, was also set aboard the Missouri, although it was actually filmed aboard the floating museum battleship USS Alabama (BB-60) "USS Alabama (BB-60)"), as the USS Missouri was in the Persian Gulf at the time.

The Wisconsin was in the news during the 1991 Gulf War, when it was the first ship to receive the surrender of enemy troops on the ground when its pioneer drone recorded Iraqi soldiers waving white flags after being attacked by the Missouri artillery.

In the 2012 film Battleship "Battleship (film)"), the USS Missouri "USS Missouri (BB-63)") appears as one of the ships confronting the alien invaders.

Las naves de la Clase Iowa fueron construidas para navegar a la misma velocidad que los portaaviones de escuadra de clase Essex de Estados Unidos. Su batería principal y armas secundarias fueron diseñados para enfrentarse a las naves de la Marina imperial de guerra japonesa, y para bombardeo de costa antes de los desembarcos y asaltos anfibios del ejército de Estados Unidos. Llevaban un arsenal temible de armas antiaéreas para defenderse a ellos mismos y los portaaviones que escoltaban.

USS Iowa (BB-61)

The USS Iowa (BB-61) was commissioned on 1 July 1939, laid down on 27 June 1940, launched on 27 August 1942, and ready on 22 February 1943. The Iowa made a test voyage in Chesapeake Bay before sailing to Naval Station Argentia, Newfoundland to counter the German battleship Tirpitz "Tirpitz (1941)"). Later transferred to the Pacific Fleet, the Iowa saw its first combat in the Battle of the Marshall Islands. He escorted aircraft carriers that launched air attacks on the Mariana Islands and the Palau Islands, later he was present at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. During the Korean War, Iowa bombed North Korean targets at Songjin, Hungnam"), and Kojo"), returned to the United States for maintenance and training exercises before being decommissioned.

Reactivated in the early 1980s, she made several voyages in European waters. On April 19, 1989, an explosion in turret No. 2 of the USS Iowa of undetermined origin killed 47 sailors. The turret remained inoperable when the Iowa was last deactivated in 1990.

In 1999, Iowa was placed in the reserve fleet as a replacement for New Jersey. Erased from the Naval Register on March 17, 2006, the Iowa is docked in Suisun Bay in San Francisco "San Francisco (California)"), until a decision is made on requests to convert the ship into a museum ship.[16]​

[17]​.

USS New Jersey (BB-62)

USS New Jersey (BB-62) was ordered on 1 July 1939, laid down on 16 September 1940, launched on 7 December 1942, and enlisted on 23 May 1943. Her initial crew trained in the Western Atlantic and Caribbean Seas before being transferred to the Pacific theater of operations. In the attacks on Marshal and Gilbert Islands, she protected the aircraft carriers with her anti-aircraft artillery from Japanese attacks. In the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the ship protected the aircraft carriers with its anti-aircraft guns. Then the New Jersey bombed Iwo Jima and Okinawa. During the Korean War, she bombed targets in Wonsan, Yangyang, and Kansong"). After the ceasefire, she conducted training cruises until she was decommissioned. Returned to active service in 1968, New Jersey was near the demilitarized zone of Vietnam, remaining there until 1969, after which she was again decommissioned. New Jersey was in the line of fire in South Vietnam for 120 days. Over the course of his short stay in Vietnam he fired 5,688 16-inch rounds and 14,891 five-inch rounds, far more than he fired during World War II and the Korean War combined.

Reactivated under the US Navy's 600-ship program, New Jersey was sent to Lebanon to protect US interests in the area and provide cover for the Marines, opening fire with her main guns on Druze and Syrian positions in the Bekaa Valley east of Beirut. Last deactivated on 8 February 1991, New Jersey was briefly retained in the Naval Register before being donated to the Home Port Alliance of Camden "Camden (New Jersey)"), New Jersey for use as a museum ship.[18]​.

USS Missouri (BB-63)

USS Missouri (BB-63} was commissioned on 12 June 1940, laid down on 6 January 1941, launched on 29 January 1944, and commissioned on 11 June 1944. Missouri conducted her sea trials off New York and in Chesapeake Bay before being transferred to the Pacific Fleet, where she guarded to US aircraft carriers involved in offensive operations against Japan before being deployed to Okinawa to bombard the island prior to planned landings. After the bombardment of Okinawa, Missouri turned its attention to Honshū and Hokkaidō, bombarding the islands and protecting US aircraft carriers involved in combat operations against Japanese positions. of Japan boarded the battleship to sign Japan's unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers.

After World War II he engaged in training voyages before being sent to Korea with the outbreak of the Korean War. Missouri served two tours in Korea before being placed in reserve in 1956. Reactivated in 1984 as part of the Navy's “600-ship” plan, Missouri was sent on operational tours until being assigned to Operation Earnest Will in 1988. In 1991, Missouri participated in the Gulf War by firing BGM-109 Tomahawk missiles at targets. Iraqis and bombing known Iraqi positions along the coast. Last deactivated in 1992, she was donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association (MMA) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii for use as a museum ship in 1999.[19]​.

USS Wisconsin (BB-64)

USS Wisconsin (BB-64) was commissioned on 12 June 1940, laid down on 25 January 1942, launched on 7 December 1943, and commissioned on 16 April 1944. After trials and initial training in Chesapeake Bay, Wisconsin was transferred to the Pacific Fleet in 1944 and assigned to protect the United States aircraft carrier fleet involved in the Philippine operations until summoned to Iwo Jima to bombard the island prior to the amphibious landing. After landing on Iwo Jima he turned his attention to Okinawa, bombarding the island before the Allied amphibious assault. In mid-1945 the Wisconsin bombed the main Japanese islands, a job it retained until the surrender of Japan.

Reactivated in 1950 for the Korean War, Wisconsin served on two tours supporting South Korea and UN forces by providing artillery support. Decommissioned in 1958, Wisconsin was placed in the reserve fleet at the Philadelphia Naval Yard until being reactivated in 1986 as part of the Navy's 600-ship plan. In 1991, it participated in the Gulf War firing BGM-109 Tomahawks and firing its main artillery at Iraqi formations along the coast. Last decommissioned on 30 September 1991, Wisconsin was placed in the reserve fleet until she was struck from the naval register of ships on 17 March 2006. Docked in Norfolk, Virginia ("Norfolk (Virginia)"), pending a formal transfer of the battleship for use as a museum ship.[20]​.

USS Illinois (BB-65)

It was never finished, it was ultimately scrapped. USS Illinois (BB-65) was commissioned on 9 September 1940 and laid down on 15 January 1945. Construction was canceled on 11 August 1945 when Illinois was 22% complete. It was sold for scrapping in September 1958.[21][22]​.

The Illinois design was called for with an all-welded hull, lighter and stronger than the hull of the four completed Iowa-class ships.

USS Kentucky (BB-66)

USS Kentucky BB-66 was authorized on 9 September 1940 and her keel was laid on 6 December 1944. Construction was suspended on 17 February 1947 with the Kentucky 72% complete. She was informally launched on January 20, 1950 to clear the dry dock for repairs to the Missouri, which had run aground. In 1956, a bow section of Kentucky's hull was shipped in one piece via Hampton Roads, where it was placed on the battleship Wisconsin, which had collided with the destroyer USS Eaton (DD-510)&action=edit&redlink=1 "USS Eaton (DD-510) (not yet redacted)"). Subsequently, Kentucky's engines were salvaged and installed on the fast tactical support ships USS Sacramento (AOE-1) "USS Sacramento (AOE-1)") and USS Camden (AOE-2)&action=edit&redlink=1 "USS Camden (AOE-2) (not yet drafted)"). There were several offers to complete the Kentucky as a missile ship. Ultimately, Kentucky was sold to Metals Co. of Boston for scrap on October 31, 1958. Like Illinois, Kentucky's hull was an all-welded hull, lighter and stronger than the four completed Iowas, and an offer was made to redesign the hull with a Montana class torpedo protection system, an offer which was rejected.[23]​.

Los acorazados de la Clase Iowa estaban posiblemente entre las naves más pesadamente armadas los Estados Unidos. La batería principal de 406 mm podría impactar a casi 39 km de distancia con gran variedad de municiones de artillería, estándares, perforantes, cargas nucleares llamadas Katies (del kt para el kilotón). La batería secundaria de 127 mm podría impactar a 14 km con proyectiles sólidos o de proximidad, y era útil tanto en un papel antiaéreo como contra naves hostiles de pequeño desplazamiento. Cuando estaban comisionados estos acorazados portaban un gran arsenal de artillería antiaérea de 20 mm y 40 mm, que fueron substituidos gradualmente por sistemas de misiles Tomahawk y Harpoon y Phalanx CIWS, y suites de guerra electrónica.

En el momento en que los acorazados de la Clase Iowa fueron desarmados en 1992, había fijado una nueva cota para el armamento del acorazado: ninguna otra clase de acorazados de la historia ha tenido tantas armas a su disposición para el uso contra un opositor.

Main battery

Its main firearm was its 9 cannons of 406 mm and 204 dm long and 108 t, grouped in three towers respectively that could hit targets at 39 km. They were originally designed for two types of ammunition; one armor-piercing for anti-ship work and another high-explosive one for use against unarmored targets and coastal bombardment, being able to use at the end of its life a wide variety of types of ammunition, ranging from armor-piercing to tactical nuclear charges called "Katies" (from the "kt" for kiloton).

Data illustrative of the firepower of these cannons are that when leaving the muzzle of the cannon, the ammunition, 18 dm long and 1225 kg in weight, has an initial speed of 825 m/s, and is capable of penetrating a 9 m thick reinforced concrete wall and at its maximum range, spends a minute and a half in flight.

The turret extends four "Deck (ship)" decks below (turret 1 and 3 decks) or five (turret 2). The lower spaces contain rooms for handling projectiles and storing bags of propellant used to fire the cannons. Each turret required a team of 94 men to operate it.

The turrets are not actually attached to the ship, they sit on rollers, meaning that if the ship were to capsize the turrets would come off. Each one costs 1.4 million dollars, not counting the cost of the cannons.

The turrets are "three-gun," and not "triple," because each gun can be raised and fired independently. The ship could fire with any combination of its weapons, including all nine on its side; contrary to myth, the ship does not noticeably move sideways when firing in this way. The weapons can be elevated from -5° to +45°, moving at a speed of up to 12° per second. The turrets can be rotated 300° at a speed of about four degrees per second and can even be fired behind beyond the beam, in what is sometimes called "over the shoulder". Guns never fire directly ahead.

When it entered service, the average life of the tubes of these cannons was 290 shots due to cellulose nitrate; After World War II, when the US Navy changed the propellant to diphenylamine, the half-life rose to 350 shots. Later it rose even more thanks to the use of various types of waxes.

In its modernization in the 1980s, each turret incorporated a DR-810 radar that measured the speed at the muzzle of each gun, and which made it easier to predict at what speed the shots were successful. Together with the Mark 160 fire control direction and improved popellant, they made these weapons the most accurate on the battleship.

Secondary battery

The ship's secondary battery consists of 127 mm guns in 10 twin mounts, five on each side, and four Mk 37 firing systems. These guns were introduced on destroyers in 1934, but by World War II they had been installed on almost every major US warship.

The secondary battery was designed for anti-aircraft combat. Its effectiveness soon declined as Japanese ship-borne fighters became faster, then rose again towards the end of the war due to an improvement to the Mk 37 firing system and proximity ammunition. During modernization in the 1980s, four twin mounts were removed to make room for the missiles, the two farthest aft and the two middle ones on each side. In the Gulf War, the secondary battery was largely relegated to supporting bombardment and littoral defense.

Each twin assembly weighs 77,399 kg and had a 13-man crew.

anti-aircraft batteries

Since they were designed to escort the United States fleet of fast attack aircraft carriers, the Iowa Class battleships were all equipped with a fearsome arsenal of anti-aircraft weapons to protect the aforementioned aircraft carriers against Japanese fighters and dive bombers.

The 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft gun was one of the most produced anti-aircraft guns of World War II; The US manufactured a total of 124,735 of these weapons. When they were activated in 1941 they replaced the 12.7 mm M2. The Oerlikon 20 mm AA gun remained the primary anti-aircraft weapon of the United States Navy until the introduction of the 40 mm Bofors in 1943.

Arguably the best light anti-aircraft weapon of World War II, the 40-millimeter Boffors AA gun was used on nearly every major warship in the US and UK fleets during World War II from 1943 to 1945.

Combined with hydraulic movement and the Mk 51 fire director for improved accuracy, the Bofors 40 mm gun became a fearsome adversary, accounting for half of the Japanese aircraft shot down between October 1, 1944 and February 1, 1945.[24]

The replacement for the Bofors weapons was the US Navy's Phalanx; during its modernization in the 1980s, each Iowa-class battleship was equipped with four CIWS phalanx mounts. The Iowa, New Jersey, and Missouri were equipped with the Block 0 version of the Phalanx, while the Wisconsin received the first operational Block 1 version in 1988. Becoming the final line of defense (terminal defense or point defense) against anti-ship missiles, the Phalanx's close-in weapon system CIWS is the anti-aircraft/anti-missile weapon in use in the United States Navy. United. Due to their distinctive shape, they have been nicknamed "R2D2s", in reference to the droid R2-D2 from Star Wars. The Phalanx CIWS mount uses an M61 Vulcan 20mm gatling gun to destroy enemy missiles and aircraft.

Phalanx CIWS mounts were used by "Missouri" during the Gulf War during a "friendly fire" incident in which the Oliver Hazard Perry Class frigate USS Jarrett (FFG-33)&action=edit&redlink=1 "USS Jarrett (FFG-33) (not yet redacted)") directed a missile at it.

Missiles

During modernization in the 1980s, three weapons were added to the Iowa-class battleships. The first was the Phalanx anti-aircraft/anti-missile CIWS system. The other two were missiles for use against land and sea targets. NATO's Sea Sparrow was to be installed on the reactivated battleships; However, it was determined that the system could not withstand the effects of overpressure when firing the main artillery.

The BGM-109 Tomahawk ground attack missile was introduced in the 1970s, and entered service in 1983. Designed as a long-range, all-weather missile, the Tomahawk is capable of hitting targets at a much greater range than 406 mm weapons.

Due to the battleship's original 1938 design, Tomahawk missiles would not fit, unless the battleships were physically rebuilt. This realization involved the removal of the 20 and 40 mm anti-aircraft guns installed on the Iowas and the removal of ten 127 mm mounts; thus the stern of the battleships was then rebuilt to accommodate the missile compartments. Each launcher carries four missiles, and each of the battleships was equipped with eight launchers, allowing the Missouri to launch a total of 32 Tomahawk missiles.

The type of Tomahawk carried varies, as there are three basic configurations for the Tomahawk: counter-surface missile (TASM); Land-Attack Missile-Conventional (TLAM-C); and Land-Attack Missile-Nuclear (TLAM-N). Each version is similar in appearance and uses the same body and launcher.

For protection against enemy ships, the Iowa class are also equipped with the Harpoon RGM-84 anti-ship missile system also installed in its modernization of the 1980s, with two 4-missile launchers (one on each side) that are capable of hitting targets at 140 km.

Aside from its firepower, the other defining characteristic of a battleship is its armor. Battleships are generally armored to withstand an attack from weapons of the same size they carry, but the exact design and placement of the armor takes into account factors inextricably linked to the stability and performance of the ship.

The Iowas benefited from advances in steel technology that allowed steel to be forged at higher temperatures and heat treatment, which produced higher quality, stronger, and more elastic armor. The metal was a nickel-steel composite, classified as stainless steel, which can bend easily and resists corrosion. Most armor was manufactured in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia. The exception was the electroplating of the turret, which was forged in a plant specially built for the Iowas: the Charleston Artillery operates in Charleston, West Virginia.

The armor of Iowa-class battleships can be divided into the above-waterline portion, which is designed to protect the ship against fire and aerial bombardment, and below the waterline, intended to protect the hull against mines, missed bombs, and torpedoes.

The armor of the Iowa Class is essentially laid out the same as the previous South Dakota class battleship. Both have an internal main belt, a change from the previous Noth Carolina class that was reluctantly adopted because it was difficult to install and repair.

An external belt that could hold 1,200 kg of 406 mm projectiles would have required a belt slope of 19° and a beam that was too long for the Panama Canal. The underwater armor includes side protection and a triple bottom, both multi-layer systems designed to absorb the energy of an underwater explosion equivalent to 320 kg of trinitrotoluene based on 1930s US Navy assumptions about Japanese weapons.

However, unknown to US naval intelligence, the Japanese 610mm torpedo carried a 490kg warhead. The torpedo defense of the Iowa Class is virtually the same as the South Dakota. Each side of the ship is protected by a tank mounted outside the hull and loaded with fuel oil or other liquid ballast, and an empty interior tank, all from the third deck from the bottom of the ship. Liquid tanks must deform and absorb the shock of the explosion and contain most of the debris from the damaged structure. The internal void is expected to contain any exits into the interior spaces of the ship. The armor strap is designed to stop torpedo fragments from penetrating the second bulkhead; However, tests in 1943 demonstrated structural defects in the system.

La clase de Iowa utilizó varios tipos de aeronaves para el reconocimiento y para marcar sus disparos de artillería. La aeronave inicial fueron hidroaviones que lanzados mediante catapultas de vapor desde la nave, amerizaban al regresar de sus patrullas y eran izadas mediante grúas a la popa del buque, y devueltas de nuevo a la catapulta.

kingfisher

Initially, the Iowas carried the Vought OS2U Kingfisher, a lightly armed two-seat aircraft designed in 1937. They usually carried three aircraft: two mounted on the catapults and a spare on a trailer near the catapults. The Kingfisher's high operational ceiling made it well suited for its primary mission: observing the drop of fire from the battleship's main guns and radio corrections for further firing at the ship. Seaplanes also performed search and rescue tasks for naval aviators who had been shot down or forced to jump into the ocean.

seahawk

In June 1942, the US Navy Aeronautical Office solicited bids from industry for a new seaplane to replace the Kingfisher and the Curtiss SO3C Seamew. It was required that the new aircraft be able to use both the landing gear and the floats interchangeably. Curtiss submitted a design on August 1, and received a contract for two prototypes and five service aircraft in testing on August 25; the first flight of an XSC-1 prototype occurred on February 16, 1944 at the Curtiss plant in Ohio. The first production aircraft was delivered in October 1944, and in early 1945 the single-seat Curtiss SC Seahawk seaplane began to replace the Kingfisher.

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helicopters

Around 1949, helicopters replaced seaplanes on the Iowa-class battleships. They used the top of the No. 2 turret as a staging area until the catapults and cranes were removed, allowing helicopter operations to shift to the stern. The aft 406mm pieces are prohibited from firing when a helicopter is on the aft deck. Helicopters added a logistics role to seaplanes' previous roles of marking for artillery and search and rescue, being able to transport personnel between ship and land. Like the seaplanes before them, the helicopters did not have hangars, but the Iowas had support facilities for five types of helicopters: UH-1 Iroquois, SH-2 Seasprites, CH-46 Sea Knight, CH-53 Sea Stallion and the LAMPS III SH-60B Seahawk.

Mastiff

In 1975, Tadiran Electronic Industries introduced the IMI Mastiff aerial vehicle (UAV) into the Israel Defense Forces (CA). The drone, designed for use in a reconnaissance role, proved its worth during the 1982 Lebanon War, when IDF (Israel Defense Force) personnel used Mastiff drones to assist in the location and destruction of Syrian surface-to-air missile outposts.[25]

. The Mastiff attracted the attention of the United States Navy after a missed American air strike against Syrian air defense assets in Lebanon in December 1983. During the operation, United States aircraft carriers operating off the coast of Lebanon sent 28 aircraft to bomb targets in the Bekaa Valley in revenge for anti-aircraft fire directed at F-14 reconnaissance flights operating from the carriers. The main target of the bombing was a Syrian radar station, but before the planes could reach the target, two American planes were shot down by Syrian anti-aircraft weapons.[27]

In an analysis of the incident, from the Secretary of the Navy. Secretary John Lehman of the Navy determined that the target had been within the range of the battleship New Jersey and its 16-inch (406 mm) guns, but there was no way for the battleship to accurately home in on the targets without an aerial spotter to direct the ship's projectiles to the target.[28]

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Partly due to Israeli success with drones, the US Navy placed a secret order for a Mastiff drone system. Israel responded by lending a drone to the United States in 1984. Pioneer drones launched from the Iowa Class were recovered by a large network.

Pioneer

In 1985, the US Navy, impressed with Israeli successes with the Mastiff IMI aerial vehicle in the early 1980s, began seeking UAVs to provide imagery for gun spotters aboard the recently reactivated battleships.

The result of this effort was the RQ-2 remote-controlled pioneer, which made its first deployment in December 1986 aboard the Iowa. Launched from the stern, assisted by a disposable rocket shortly after takeoff, a pioneer reached speeds of up to 140 km/h with a range of about four hours. The pioneer carried a video camera in a pod under the belly of the aircraft, which transmitted live video back to the ship so that operators could observe enemy actions or the fall of shot from naval artillery.

Given the difficulty of landing the pioneer without suffering damage or inflicting damage to the ship, a large net was placed for recovery. Each battleship could carry eight pioneers, designated Remote Pilot Vehicles (RPVs). The pioneers gained international attention during their use during the 1991 Gulf War, when extensive use was made of them from Missouri and Wisconsin. The latter became the first vessel to be handed over to enemy forces by one of their remotely controlled observation drones.

Los acorazados de la Clase Iowa son los acorazados más rápidos de todos los puestos en servicio, capaces de velocidades sostenidas de 33 nudos y puntualmente mayores. La planta motriz, consiste en cuatro turbinas de vapor de General Electric, cada una acoplada a un eje que hace girar una hélice. Las dos hélices externas en los clase de Iowa tienen cuatro palas y miden ø5,5 m. Las dos hélices interiores tienen cinco palas y miden ø5,3 m. Ocho Calderas de Babcock & Wilcox funcionan a 4136,85 kPa con una temperatura máxima de 468 °C.

Los motores de doble expansión consisten en una turbina de alta presión (HP) y una turbina de baja presión (LP). El vapor primero se pasa a través de la turbina del HP que gira hasta 2100 RPM. El vapor, agotado en gran parte a este punto, entonces se pasa a través del conducto del a la turbina del LP. Para el momento en que alcance la turbina del LP, tiene no más 300 kPa de presión. La turbina del LP aumenta eficacia y energía extrayendo un poco más de la energía del vapor. Después de dejar la turbina del LP, el vapor de escape pasa en un condensador para volver a ser el agua de alimentación a las calderas. El agua perdida en el proceso es substituida por tres evaporadores, que pueden hacer un total de 60 000 galones/día (3 L/s de agua potable). Después de que las calderas "Caldera (máquina)") hayan tenido su parte, el agua dulce restante alimenta a los sistemas de agua potable de la nave para beber, las duchas, el lavado de manos, cocinas, el etc. Todos los urinarios e inodoros de la clase Iowa funcionan con agua salada para conservar el agua dulce. Las turbinas, pueden girar a 2000 rpm; sus ejes conducen a través del engranaje de la reducción en el cual los ejes del propulsor giran a 225 rpm, dependiendo de la velocidad deseada.

Electricity

Electricity powers many systems aboard the ship, including turning turrets and raising weapons. Each of the four engine rooms has two generating turbines manufactured by Westinghouse that serve the ship. Each of them produces 1.25 MW for a total power of 10 MW of electricity. The generators are powered by steam from the same boilers that power the engines. As a reserve, the ship also has two 250 kW diesel generators.

To allow bypassing electrical circuits damaged in battle to be repaired, the lower decks of the ship have a death power system in which cables and wall outlets called crackers can be used to reroute power.

Desde que el primer sistema comercial del radar fue instalado a bordo de los acorazados del acorazado USS Texas (BB-35) "USS Texas (BB-35)"), se ha utilizado el radar para el reconocimiento aéreo, vigilancia de superficie, y como parte del sistema de control de fuego para las armas del acorazado. Desde su modernización en los años 80, los cuatro acorazados de la clase de Iowa también han utilizado los sistemas de las contramedidas electrónicas para la defensa contra los misiles y el aviones enemigos.

Radar

Each of the four Iowa class battleships is equipped with the AN/SPS-49 long-range, two-dimensional, air search radar system.

radar system that provides automatic detection and reporting of targets within your surveillance volume. The AN/SPS-49 performs accurate centroiding of target range, azimuth, amplitude, ECM level background, and radial velocity with an associated confidence factor to produce contact data for command and control systems. Additionally, contact range and bearing information is provided for display on standard plan position indicator consoles. The AN/SPS-49 uses a line-of-sight, horizon-stabilized antenna to provide low-altitude target acquisition in all sea states, and also uses an upspot feature to provide coverage for high jump threats in high diver mode. AN/SPS-49 modes external control and operation command and control system, and processing to identify and flag contacts as special alarms are provided for self-defense support. The AN/SPS-49 has several operational features to enable optimal radar performance: an automatic target detection capability with pulse Doppler process and clutter maps, ensuring reliable detection in normal and severe types of clutter; an electronic counter-countermeasures capability to jam environments; a moving target indicator capability to distinguish moving targets from stationary targets and improve target detection during the presence of disturbance and debris; improving the Media PRF (MPU) to increase detection capabilities and reduce false contacts; and a Coherent Sidelobe Cancellation (CSLC) feature.

The Iowa class battleships are also equipped with the AN/SPS-67 radar set, a short-range, two-dimensional, surface-search/navigation radar system that provides highly accurate surface and limited low-flyer detection and tracking capabilities. The AN/SPS-67 is a solid-state replacement for the AN/SPS-10 radar, using a more reliable antenna and incorporating standard electronic module technology for simpler repair and maintenance. The AN/SPS-67 provides excellent performance in rain and sea disturbance, and is useful in harbor navigation, since the AN/SPS-67 is capable of detecting buoys and small obstructions without difficulty.

The AN/SPS-67(V)1 radar is a fixed two-dimensional pulsed (azimuth and range) radar designed primarily for surface operations with a secondary counter-send-missile and low flyer detection capability. The radar system operates in the 5450 to 5825 MHz range, using a coaxial magnetron as the transmitter output tube. The transmitter/receiver is capable of operation in a long (1 ms), medium (0.25 ms), or short 0.1 ms pulse mode to enhance radar performance for specific operational or tactical situations. Pulse repetition rates (PRF) of 750.1200, and 2400 pulses/sec are used for long, medium, and short pulse modes, respectively.

electronic warfare

In 1967 Egypt sank the Israeli destroyer INS Eilat (K-40) with a Soviet SS-N-2 STYX missile, prompting the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) to consider creating a family of electronic warfare devices to replace and/or complement existing and planned ship surveillance sensors in the early 1970s, a sentiment growing when an analysis of the existing AN/WLR-1 and AN/ULQ-6 systems installed on most ships it was determined that neither system could counter the Counter-Send Cruise Missile (ASCM) in time to prevent a hit. Additionally, the weapons were not effective because there was little early detection of an attack due to the characteristics of ASCMs. The resulting electronic warfare was the SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare Suite | ASCM. This system, specifically the SLQ-32(V)3 variant, was fitted to Iowa class battleships in the 1980s for defense against enemy anti-ship missiles. Countering the threat posed by enemy submarines the Iowa class was also equipped with the AN/SLQ-25 Nixie, a towed torpedo trap used on US and Allied warships. It consists of a towed trap device, and a shipboard signal generator. The trap emits signals to draw a torpedo away from its intended target. The Nixie attempts to defeat a torpedo's passive sonar by emitting simulated ship noise, such as propeller and engine noise, which is more attractive than the ship to the torpedo's sensors. Active sonar is decoyed by amplifying and returning torpedo pings, presenting a larger false target to the torpedo. During their modernization in the 1980s each of the Iowa Class battleships was equipped with the Mark 36 SRBOC|Mark 36 Rapid Offboard Flotation System (SRBOC), allowing the Iowas to carry and fire debris (countermeasure rockets) that, when launched from their tubes, launch missile traps or decoys. Decoys/lures are intended to act as an anti-missile shield by providing false targets for an enemy missile to attack.

During the 1991 Gulf War, the wreckage was blamed for a friendly fire incident between the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Jarrett (FFG-33) and the battleship USS Missouri (BB-63): during an Iraqi missile attack the Missouri fired a flare to confuse the missile, however a CIWS phalanx mount on the Jarrett accidentally fired the flare. launched by the Missouri. The shells from the Jarret hit the Missouri, causing a minor injury to a crew member of the battleship; No serious injuries or damage resulted from the attack.

After World War II, the United States maintained the four Iowa-class battleships in the U.S. reserve fleets. Navy and on several occasions reactivated these battleships for naval gunfire artillery support. The United States Navy has maintained its battleships for a long time afterward. The cost and advent of aviation and precision-guided munitions led other nations to scrap their battleship fleets. The US Congress is largely responsible for this.

Lawmakers argue that battleships' large-caliber weapons have useful military destructive power as smaller, cheaper and faster U.S. cruisers and destroyers lack these weapons. The Navy, which views battleships as too expensive, is working to persuade Congress to allow it to remove the Iowa and Wisconsin from the Naval Registry by developing extended-range guided munitions and a new ship capable of meeting US Navy and Marine Corps requirements for artillery support and shore bombardment.

The US Navy's plan to extend the range of 127 mm weapons on destroyers and guided missiles from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) "USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51)") to USS Ross (DDG-71) "USS Ross (DDG-71)")) with extended-range guided munitions that would allow the ships to fire precision-guided projectiles near 40 km from him. This program was initiated in 1996 with a preliminary cost of US$78.6 million; Since then, the cost of the program has increased 400%. The results of the program have been disappointing, with the original planned operational date from 2001 to 2011. These weapons are expected to not meet the Marine Corps' requirements for range.

The result of the latest effort to design and build a ship as a replacement for the two battleships is the Zumwalt-Class destroyer, also known as the DD(X) or DDG-1000 "USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000)") (referring to Zumwalt's hull number). The DD(X) is to mount a pair of advanced gun system (AGS) turrets capable of firing specially designed long-range shore strike projectiles about 60 miles inland.

The US Navy hopes that sufficient numbers of DD(X) destroyers will be ready to help fill the gap left by battleships by 2018 at the earliest.

DDG Zumwalt 1000 is being developed by the US Navy to serve as the backbone of the surface fleet of the future providing a wide range of capabilities that are vital to supporting the global war on terrorism and major combat operations.

Zumwalt's multi-mission warfighting capabilities are designed to counter not only today's threats, but also potential threats over the next decade. On March 17, 2006, the Secretary of State of the US Navy deregistered the Iowa and Wisconsin from the Naval Registry, thus clearing the possibility of both ships being donated for use as a museum ship. The US Navy thus has the guarantee that the battleships will not be used in any future war, thus turning its attention to the development and construction of the Zumwalt destroyer, the next generation of guided missile destroyers.

This movement has drawn fire from a variety of sources familiar with the subject; Among them are dissident members of the United States Marine Corps, who feel that battleships remain a viable solution to naval fire support, members of the United States Congress who remain deeply concerned about the loss of naval surface fire support that battleships provided, and the number of independent groups such as the United States Naval Fire Support Association (USNFSA) whose ranks frequently include former service members and armed fans of the battleships.

Although the discussions presented by each group differ, all agree that the US Navy does not in good faith consider the potential of reactivated battleships for field use, a position that is supported by a 1999 report from the Government Accountability Office regarding the US Navy's fire support program. In response, the Navy has pointed to the cost of reactivating the two Iowa-class battleships to their unarmed capability.

The Navy estimates costs in excess of $500 million but this does not include an additional $110 million needed to fill powder for the 406 mm guns because a recent survey found the powder to be unsafe. In terms of schedule, Navy program management estimates that reactivation would take 20 to 40 months, given the loss of corporate memory and the shipyard's industrial base. In summary, the committee is addressed that the Navy has given up the battleship's long-range fire support capability, has given little cause for optimism regarding meeting short-term development objectives, and appears unrealistic in planning to support expeditionary warfare in the mid-term. The committee views the Navy's strategy to provide naval surface fire support as high risk, and will continue to monitor progress accordingly of the United States Navy's naval surface fire support program in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2007.

Reactivating the battleships would require a wide range of battleship modernization improvements, according to the US Navy's program management office. At a minimum, these modernization improvements include command and control, communications, computers, and intelligence equipment; environmental protection (including ozone-depleting substances); wastewater alterations; alterations in safety and women at sea; fire protection; a team of modernized sensors (air and surface search radar); and new combat and self-defense systems.

The US Navy's program management office also identified other issues that would discourage the idea of ​​reactivating and modernizing the battleships. For example, the personnel required to operate battleships would be excessive, and the necessary qualifications may not be available. Other issues include the age and unreliability of the battleships' propulsion systems and the fact that the Navy does not maintain the capability to manufacture 406mm artillery components and systems.

Although the Navy strongly believes in the capabilities of the DD(X) destroyer program, members of the United States Congress remain skeptical about the effectiveness of the new destroyers when compared to battleships. Partly as a result the US House of Representatives has requested that the battleships be kept in optimal readiness in case they are needed again.

Congress has requested that the following be taken to ensure that, if necessary, Iowa and Wisconsin can return to active duty:.

These four conditions reflect the original three conditions that the Nation's Defense Authorization Act presented in 1996 for the maintenance of Iowa and Wisconsin while they were in the reserve fleet. These conditions are unlikely to prevent the current plan to convert the Iowa and Wisconsin into museum ships.

Iowa-class battleships have frequently appeared in American popular culture. The Iowa was the centerpiece of the book A Glimpse of Hell: The Explosion on the U. S. S. Iowa & Its Cover-Up, which deals with the events surrounding the 1989 explosion of its turret number 2.[29] In 2001 the book was made into a film starring James Caan and directed by Michael Salomon. MacArthur starring Gregory Peck; in the 1983 television miniseries The Winds of War, starring Ralph Bellamy and Robert Mitchum; and in the singer Cher's video "If I Could Turn Back Time."

The 1992 film Under Siege, starring Steven Seagal, was also set aboard the Missouri, although it was actually filmed aboard the floating museum battleship USS Alabama (BB-60) "USS Alabama (BB-60)"), as the USS Missouri was in the Persian Gulf at the time.

The Wisconsin was in the news during the 1991 Gulf War, when it was the first ship to receive the surrender of enemy troops on the ground when its pioneer drone recorded Iraqi soldiers waving white flags after being attacked by the Missouri artillery.

In the 2012 film Battleship "Battleship (film)"), the USS Missouri "USS Missouri (BB-63)") appears as one of the ships confronting the alien invaders.