I know I am treading on thin ground being a "newbee" to the game...
But consider the following...
What IF the nukes were limited to some tactical exchanges?
What if the Minutemen, B-52's and etc. (plus the Russian equivalent) had stayed at high alert, but stayed in the silos/airfields? The Politicians and the Generals determined that the possibility of doomsday was STILL too unacceptable.
As I have read the stories posted here, the attrition of the conventional forces were enormous...
I think that the US Military would look at the older Battleships as a way of introducing MAJOR combat units in 1 - 2 years.
Just my mind wondering down a different road.
Mike