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== 1980s reactivation/modernization == [[File:An aerial starboard side view of the battleship USS MISSOURI (BB-63) underway for the Bremerton Navy Yard after returning from the Persian Gulf War. The MISSOURI will remain in serv - DPLA - f7d6121876d386732d88a9c9909b7051.jpeg|thumb|left|USS ''Missouri'' after 1980s refit]] In 1980, [[Ronald Reagan]] was elected [[President of the United States|president]] on a promise to build up the US military as a response to the increasing military power of the [[Soviet Union]]. The [[Soviet Navy]] was commissioning the ''[[Kirov-class battlecruiser|Kirov]]'' class of missile cruisers, the largest type of [[surface combatant]] since [[World War II]]. As part of Reagan's [[600-ship Navy]] policy and as a counter to the ''Kirov'' class, the US Navy began reactivating the four ''Iowa''-class units and modernizing them for service.{{sfnm |1a1=Bishop|1y=1988|1p=80 |2a1=Miller|2a2=Miller|2y=1986|2p=114}} [[File:Battle Group Alpha (Midway, Iowa) underway, 1987.jpg|thumb|alt=A large collection of ships sailing on the sea from the back right to the front left. At the center of the cluster of ships is an aircraft carrier, with a battleship in front of the carrier. Other ships of various types are sailing in a roughly circular formation to provide defense for the aircraft carrier.|''Iowa'' at the head of Battle Group Alpha, centered around the aircraft carrier {{USS|Midway|CV-41|2}} with escorts and supply ships, in 1987]] The Navy considered several proposals that would have removed the aft 16-inch turret. [[Martin Marietta]] proposed to replace the turret with servicing facilities for 12 [[McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II|AV-8B Harrier]] STOVL jump jets. A more detailed proposal, the "Interdiction Assault Ship", proposed a V-shaped ramped [[flight deck]] (the base of the V would have been on the ship's stern, while each leg of the V would extend forward, so that planes taking off would fly past the ship's exhaust stacks and conning tower), while a new hangar would be added with two elevators, which would support up to twelve [[McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II]] jump-jets. These aviation facilities could also support helicopters, [[United States Navy SEALs|SEAL teams]] and up to 500 Marines for an air assault. In the empty space between the V flight deck would be up to 320 missile silos accommodating a mixture of [[Tomahawk (missile family)|Tomahawk]] land attack missiles, [[ASROC]] anti-submarine rockets and [[Standard missile|Standard]] surface-to-air missiles. The existing five-inch gun turrets would be replaced with 155-millimeter howitzers for naval gunfire support.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/ultimate-warship-hybrid-aircraft-carrer-battleship-54657|title=The Ultimate Warship: A Hybrid Aircraft Carrier-Battleship?|first=Kyle|last=Mizokami|date=April 26, 2019|website=The National Interest}}</ref>{{sfn|Muir|1989|p=130}} Charles Myers, a former Navy test pilot turned Pentagon consultant, proposed replacing the turret with [[Vertical launching system|vertical launch systems]] for missiles and a flight deck for Marine helicopters. In July 1981, the [[United States Naval Institute|US Naval Institute]]'s ''[[Proceedings (magazine)|Proceedings]]'' published a proposal by naval architect Gene Anderson for a canted flight deck with steam catapult and arrestor wires for [[McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet|F/A-18 Hornet]] fighters.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Anderson |first1=Gene |title=Comment and Discussion: A Sea-Based Interdiction System for Power Projection |url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1981/july/comment-and-discussion |magazine=Proceedings |publisher=US Naval Institute |date=July 1981 |page=21 |quote=Aided by a steam catapult, a canted deck, and arresting gear, this extension of the flight deck could allow the Navy's latest fighters to operate from this ship.}}</ref> Plans for these conversions were dropped in 1984.{{sfn|Muir|1989|p=130}} Each battleship was overhauled to burn navy distillate fuel and modernized to carry [[electronic warfare]] suites, [[close-in weapon system]]s (CIWS) for self-defense, and missiles. The obsolete electronics and anti-aircraft armament were removed to make room for more modern systems. The Navy spent about $1.7 billion, from 1981 through 1988, to modernize and reactivate the four ''Iowa''-class battleships,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/bb-61.htm |title=BB-61 Iowa-class |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=21 October 2000 |website=FAS Military Analysis Network |publisher=Federation of American Scientists |access-date=22 July 2014}}</ref> roughly the same as building four ''Oliver Hazard Perry''-class frigates. After modernization, the full load displacement was relatively unchanged at {{cvt|57500|LT}}.{{sfnm|Sumrall|1988|1p=157|Polmar|2001|2p=128}} The modernized battleships operated as centerpieces of their own battle group (termed as a Battleship Battle Group or [[Carrier battle group#Battleship battle group|Surface Action Group]]), consisting of one {{sclass|Ticonderoga|cruiser}}, one {{sclass|Kidd|destroyer}} or {{sclass|Arleigh Burke|destroyer|2}}, one {{sclass|Spruance|destroyer|2}}, three {{sclass|Oliver Hazard Perry|frigate}}s and one support ship, such as a fleet oiler.{{sfn|Lightbody|Poyer|1990|pp=338β39}} === Armament === {{multiple image | align=left | direction= vertical | width = 180 | footer = | image1 = USSNewJersey tomohawk.jpg | alt1 = A large gray box mounted on a platform, tipped at a roughly 45-degree angle facing the camera. A missile is sticking out from the front of the canister. | caption1=Armored Box Launcher unit for Tomahawk | image2 = Harpoon Missile Tubes and Phalanx on the Battleship New Jersey.jpg | alt2 = A quartet of grey colored cylindrical canisters positioned roughly in the center of the image, with the canisters pointed at angle with the base to the lower left. Another quartet is positioned on the left of the image. A white cylinder with a dome can be seen on the upper right of the image. | caption2= Two Harpoon Missile Launchers and a Phalanx CIWS | image3 = Launched_FIM-92A_Stinger_missile.jpg | alt3 = A large pipe-like weapon with a box on its lower right hand side and upper right hand side, shouldered by a U.S. Marine. The separated ejection motor and launched missile are visible to the right. | caption3 = [[FIM-92 Stinger]] [[Man-portable air-defense systems|MANPADS]]. }} During their modernization in the 1980s, each ''Iowa'' was equipped with four of the US Navy's [[Phalanx CIWS]] mounts, two of which sat just behind the bridge and two which were next to the ship's aft funnel. ''Iowa'', ''New Jersey'', and ''Missouri'' were equipped with the Block 0 version of the Phalanx, while ''Wisconsin'' received the first operational Block 1 version in 1988.<ref name="NavWeaps 20mm CIWS">{{Harvard citation no brackets|NavWeaps.com|loc= [http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_Phalanx.php 20 mm Phalanx Close-in Weapon System (CIWS)]}}</ref> The Phalanx system is intended to serve as a last line of defense against enemy missiles and aircraft, and when activated can engage a target with a 20 mm [[M61 Vulcan]] [[Gatling gun#M61 Vulcan, Minigun, and other designs|6-barreled Gatling cannon]]<ref name="1987 almanac">Thomas, Vincent C. (1987). ''The Almanac of Seapower'', p. 191. Navy League of the United States. {{ISBN|0961072482}}.</ref> at a distance of approximately {{convert|4000|yd|km nmi|abbr=out}}.<ref name="NavWeaps 20mm CIWS" /> As part of their modernization in the 1980s, each of the ''Iowa''s received a complement of eight quad-cell [[Armored Box Launcher]]s and four "shock hardened" [[List of United States Navy Guided Missile Launching Systems|Mk 141 quad-cell launchers]]. The former was used by the battleships to carry and fire the [[Tomahawk (missile family)|BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles]] (TLAMs) for use against enemy targets on land, while the latter system enabled the ships to carry a complement of [[Harpoon (missile)|RGM-84 Harpoon]] anti-ship missiles for use against enemy ships. With an estimated range of {{convert|675|to|1500|nmi|lk=on}}{{sfn|Sumrall|1988|p=87}} for the Tomahawks and {{convert|64.5|to|85.5|nmi}}{{sfn|Sumrall|1988|p=87}} for the Harpoons, these two missile systems displaced the 16-inch guns and their maximum range of {{convert|42345|yd|km nmi|1}}<ref name="NavWeaps 16/50" /> to become the longest-ranged weapons on the battleships during the 1980s; the ships' complement of 32 Tomahawk missiles was the largest until the [[Mark 41 Vertical Launching System|Mk 41 VLS]]-equipped {{sclass|Ticonderoga|cruiser|0}} cruisers entered service. It has been alleged by members of the environmental group [[Greenpeace]]{{sfnm|1a1=Norris|1a2=Arkin|1y=1989|1p=48|2a1=Pugh|2y=1989|2p=194|3a1=Walsh|3a2=Arkin|3y=1991|3pp=8β9}} that the battleships carried the TLAM-A (also cited, incorrectly, as the TLAM-N) β a Tomahawk missile with a [[variable yield]] [[W80 (nuclear warhead)|W80 nuclear warhead]] β during their 1980s service with the United States Navy, but owing to the United States Navy's policy of refusing to confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weaponry aboard its ships, these claims can not be conclusively proved.{{sfn|Yenne|2005|pp=132β33}}<ref group=N name=Nuclear/> Between 2010 and 2013, the US withdrew the BGM-109A, leaving only conventional munitions packages for its Tomahawk missile inventory, though the Iowas had been withdrawn from service at that point.<ref name="FASNT">{{cite web |last= Kristensen |first= Hans M. |url= https://fas.org/blogs/security/2013/03/tomahawk/ |title=US Navy Instruction Confirms Retirement of Nuclear Tomahawk Cruise Missile |date= 18 March 2013 |publisher=[[Federation of American Scientists]] |access-date= 21 November 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140709001733/https://fas.org/blogs/security/2013/03/tomahawk/ |archive-date=9 July 2014 }}</ref> Owing to the original 1938 design of the battleships, the Tomahawk missiles could not be fitted to the ''Iowa'' class unless the battleships were rebuilt in such a way as to accommodate the missile mounts that would be needed to store and launch the Tomahawks. This realization prompted the removal of the anti-aircraft guns previously installed on the ''Iowa''s and the removal of four of each of the battleships' ten 5-inch/38 DP mounts. The mid and aft end of the battleships were then rebuilt to accommodate the missile launchers. At one point, the NATO [[RIM-7 Sea Sparrow|Sea Sparrow]] was to be installed on the reactivated battleships; however, it was determined that the system could not withstand the overpressure effects of firing the main battery.<ref name="GOA1">{{cite web |last= Horan |first= Donald J. |url= http://archive.gao.gov/f0102/115403.pdf |title= Update of the Issues Concerning the Proposed Reactivation of the Iowa class battleships and the Aircraft Carrier Oriskany |date= 20 April 1981 |access-date =16 December 2010 |publisher =United States General Accounting Office |pages=3β18 }}</ref> To supplement the anti-aircraft capabilities of the ''Iowa''s, five [[FIM-92 Stinger]] [[surface-to-air missile]] firing positions were installed. These secured the shoulder-launched weapons and their rounds for ready use by the crew.{{sfn|Sumrall|1988|p=87}} === Electronics === {{multiple image | direction= vertical | width = 220 | footer = | image1 = SPS-49 Air Search Radar antenna.jpg | alt1 = A large gray grid mounted on the top of a ship overlooking a harbor. On the seaport cars are visible, behind the radar the aft end of the frigate is visible as well as a ship docked at the pier. | caption1= An AN/SPS-49 antenna | image2 = USS Iowa gunfire control radars.jpg | alt2 = Three towers are visible, at the top of the first, a dish; at the top of the second, a metal bar; at the top of the third watchman's post attached to a smoke stack. | caption2= Gunfire-control radars aboard USS ''Iowa'' }} During their modernization under the 600-ship Navy program, the ''Iowa''-class battleships' radar systems were again upgraded. The foremast was of a new tripod design that was considerably reinforced to allow the AN/SPS-6 air-search radar system to be replaced with the [[AN/SPS-49]] radar set (which also augmented the existing navigation capabilities on the battleships), and the AN/SPS-8 surface-search radar set was replaced by the [[AN/SPS-67]] search radar. The new mast also incorporates a Tactical Air Navigation System ([[TACAN]]) antenna.<ref name="Stillwell 62.1" /> The aft mast was changed to be placed in front of the aft funnel and mounts a circular SATCOM antenna while another one was mounted on the fire control mast.<ref>Miano 2021, p. 15</ref> By the Korean War, jet engines had replaced propellers on aircraft, which severely limited the ability of the 20 mm and 40 mm AA batteries and their gun systems to track and shoot down enemy planes. Consequently, the AA guns and their associated fire-control systems were removed when reactivated. ''New Jersey'' received this treatment in 1967, and the others followed in their 1980s modernizations. In the 1980s, each ship also received a quartet of Phalanx CIWS mounts which made use of a radar system to locate incoming enemy projectiles and destroy them with a 20 mm Gatling gun before they could strike the ship.{{sfn|Sharpe|1991|p=732}}<ref name="Stillwell 62.2">Stillwell, p. 304.{{Incomplete short citation|date=November 2020}}<!--Ambiguous, there are two Stillwells (1986, 1996) cited in article--></ref> [[File:Pioneer Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.jpg|thumb|alt=A large airborne machine photographed in flight from the ground looking up. The machine is pointed toward the top left side of the photo. Large wings can be seen protruding from the vehicle, along with the tail fin and metal peinces that attach it to the body of the aircraft. Visible in the machine's underbelly are a camera and landing gear, tail hook, and a blur in the back where a small propeller responsible for powering the machine can be found.|The [[AAI RQ-2 Pioneer|RQ-2 Pioneer]] [[Unmanned Aerial Vehicle|UAV]] was used aboard the ''Iowa''-class ships for gunnery spotting]] With the added missile capacity of the battleships in the 1980s came additional fire-support systems to launch and guide the ordnance. To fire the Harpoon anti-ship missiles, the battleships were equipped with the SWG-1 fire-control system, and to fire the Tomahawk missiles the battleships used either the SWG-2 or SWG-3 fire-control system. In addition to these offensive-weapon systems, the battleships were outfitted with the [[AN/SLQ-25 Nixie]] to be used as a lure against enemy torpedoes; an [[AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare Suite|SLQ-32]] electronic warfare system that can detect, jam, and deceive an opponent's radar; and a [[Mark 36 SRBOC]] system to fire [[Chaff (countermeasure)|chaff]] rockets intended to confuse enemy missiles.{{sfn|Sharpe|1991|p=732}}<ref name="Stillwell 62.2" /> Aside from the electronics added for weaponry control, all four battleships were outfitted with a communications suite used by both cruisers and guided missile cruisers in service at the time.{{sfn|Polmar|2001|p=128}} This communication suite included the OE-82 antenna for satellite communications{{sfn|Sumrall|1988|p=122}} but did not include the [[Naval Tactical Data System]].{{sfn|Polmar|2001|p=128}} === Aircraft (1982β1992) === [[File:Iowa drone.jpg|thumb|left|alt=The rear deck of ship, with a large partially erect net visible near the center of the image. Many men in orange suits are working to free a white drone entangled in the net.|Crewmen recover an RQ-2 Pioneer [[unmanned aerial vehicle]] aboard {{USS|Iowa|BB-61|2}}]] During the 1980s these battleships made use of the [[AAI RQ-2 Pioneer|RQ-2 Pioneer]], an unmanned aerial vehicle employed in spotting for the guns. Launched from the fantail using a rocket-assist booster that was discarded shortly after takeoff, the Pioneer carried a video camera in a pod under the belly of the aircraft which transmitted live video to the ship so operators could observe enemy actions or fall of shot during naval gunnery. To land the UAV a large net was deployed at the back of the ship; the aircraft was flown into it. ''Missouri'' and ''Wisconsin'' both used the Pioneer UAVs successfully during Operation Desert Storm, and in one particularly memorable incident,{{sfn|Camp|2009|p=144}} a Pioneer UAV operated by ''Wisconsin'' received the surrender of Iraqi troops during combat operations.{{sfn|Camp|2009|p=144}} This particular Pioneer was later donated to the [[Smithsonian Institution]] and is now on public display.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum: Pioneer RQ-2A UAV |url= https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/pioneer-rq-2a-uav |magazine= The Smithsonian |date= 5 March 2000 |access-date =13 March 2017 }}</ref> During Operation Desert Storm these Pioneers were operated by detachments of [[List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons#Composite squadrons|VC-6]].{{sfn|Polmar|2005|p=477}} In addition to the Pioneer UAVs, the recommissioned ''Iowa''s could support operations by various types of helicopters, including the [[Bell UH-1 Iroquois|UH-1 Iroquois]], [[Kaman SH-2 Seasprite|SH-2 Seasprites]], [[Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight|CH-46 Sea Knight]], [[Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion|CH-53 Sea Stallion]], and LAMPS III [[Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk|SH-60B Seahawk]].
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