Russia So Freaked: Iowa-Class Battleships Made a Comeback Due to 'Battlecruiser' Threat

What You Need to Know: Before aircraft carriers dominated naval supremacy, U.S. battleships like the Iowa-class ruled the seas. Built during World War II, the four completed Iowas served extensively in both WWII and the Korean War before being decommissioned in the late 1950s.

-In the early 1980s, amidst the Soviet Navy's expansion and the introduction of formidable Kirov-class battlecruisers, the Reagan administration reactivated the Iowas for Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) and to counter Soviet threats.