The 1980s Iowa-class battleships were reactivated and modernized by the U.S. Navy as part of the Reagan-era naval expansion, fitted with Tomahawk cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and Phalanx CIWS while retaining their massive 16-inch guns. They served as powerful symbols of American sea power, blending World War II–era firepower with Cold War missile technology. The 1980s Soviet Kirov-class battlecruisers were nuclear-powered surface combatants armed with P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles, long-range air defenses, and advanced radar systems, making them among the most formidable warships of their time. They embodied Soviet ambitions to challenge U.S. carrier battle groups, projecting power with both heavy missile armament and nuclear endurance.