The Great Battleship Debate | John Konrad of gCaptain and Zach Cooper of AEI

Is the battleship making a comeback, or is this the dawn of a new class of "Large Surface Combatant"? In this episode, we dive into the recent announcement regarding the construction of the Trump-class battleships, starting with the USS Defiant. Host Sal Mercogliano, along with Zach Cooper of AEI and John Konrad of gCaptain, breaks down the specs, the strategy, and the terminology that has the maritime world talking. We explore why the US Navy is looking beyond the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and what a 35,000-ton "battleship" means in the age of drones and hypersonic missiles. 00:00 Introduction 02:21 Opening Statements 11:42 How would the Battleship Fit into the Force Structure? 18:52 Is the Battleship the next Revolution in Naval Affairs? 30:32 Does the Red Sea, Black Sea or Strait of Hormuz need a Battleship? 42:09 Can we even build a Battleship? 56:44 Closing Remarks Contact What's Going on With Shipping via: Patreon: www.patreon.com/wgowshipping Twitter: @mercoglianos Bluesky: @mercoglianos.bsky.social Facebook: @wgowshipping Email: [email protected]