Summary: The USS New Jersey, a historical Iowa-class battleship and the embodiment of an era when battleships dominated naval warfare, is currently undergoing a significant $10 million refurbishment. This once-in-a-generation maintenance cycle includes repainting, applying a new protective coating, repairing the cathodic protection system, and conducting inspections for leaks to preserve the ship for future visitors. The maintenance work offers a unique opportunity for dry dock tours during weekends. Post-refurbishment, the USS New Jersey will return to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, where it was originally constructed in the 1940s.

Historic Battleship USS New Jersey Prepares for a New Era with Major Repairs

Once upon a time, battleships ruled the waves. These giant steel behemoths could weigh up to 70,000 tons and pack enough firepower to obliterate an entire coast. World War Two was the last dance of the battleship, and since only a small number of these warships survive.

The USS New Jersey is one of them undergoing an important maintenance cycle to ensure its survival. 

The battleship is heading for significant repairs that will ensure that it is suitable for visits well into the future. As part of a $10 million refurbishment, the USS New Jersey will get a repainting, new coating, and repairs on the warship’s cathodic protection system.

In addition, it will be inspected for potential leaks that might endanger the structure. The USS Texas, an older battleship that serves as a floating museum, is undergoing major repairs after leaks listed the warship six degrees. 

“We will be offering a dry dock tour on the weekends when work is not being done at the shipyard, and information about that will be announced in conjunction with an announcement that will hopefully be forthcoming very soon about when, in fact, the ship is actually going to move here from Camden,” said Marshall Spevak, CEO of the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial.

Once the repairs are over, the USS New Jersey will return to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, where it was initially built in the 1940s.

The USS New Jersey 

The USS New Jersey has an interesting history. As an Iowa-class battleship, the USS New Jersey is part of the last batch of battleships ever built by the U.S. Navy. It was designed in an era when battleships ruled supreme and before aircraft carriers became the center of attention.

However, with the end of World War Two, battleships became obsolete. Aircraft carriers and the scores of fighter jets they could carry meant that battleships could no longer survive in the seas. 

In total, the battleship was commissioned and recommissioned an impressive four times. This rather unusual fact is due to the fluctuating ship numbers of the Navy in the years after World War Two and the perceived needs of the Cold War. When Ronald Reagan became president in 1980, he launched an intense defense program that sought to build a 600-ship navy. To reach that number, the Navy recommissioned older ships like the USS New Jersey and equipped them with the necessary modern tools to make them relevant.

For example, after its 1982 refurbishment, the USS New Jersey packed nine 16-inch (406mm) main guns, 12 5-inch (127) secondary guns, 32 BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles, 16 RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and four 20mm Phalanx CIWS autocannons. The battleship could also land four helicopters. 

The USS New Jersey was decommissioned for the last time in the early 1990s and has been serving as a floating museum since then, keeping naval history alive. 

About the Author  

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP. Email the author: [email protected].

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