Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[salasidis]

Battleships WERE retired becuase they were inefective weapons. Not a single new battleship has been built since WWII. They are too expensive, their thick armor could not protect them from the air, and in the history of modern naval warfare (since 1900), battleships only faced off within main gun range a couple of times (Jutland, and Guadalcanal - if you know of others then I stand corrected). The reason they never faced off was either their contries could not afford to lose them (as was the case in Jutland), or they never could get close to one another without air power having already settled the score (almost all battles in WWII). Since WWII, the carrier's (as well as other missile carrying ships) have extended their reach even further.

Cruise missiles can be launched from battleships, but they can also be launched from much lower priced vessels as well (with equal effectiveness - possibly nore so as they don't present as big and valuable a target).

Since WWII, battleships have only served one niche. They have been useful against a less capable enemy (ie one that could not attack the ships when they approached the shore to fire) as an intimidation/artillery barage weapon. But with today's daisy cutters and MOABs, that too is no longer a necessity.