Main battery

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Animated diagram of the main (red) and secondary (blue) batteries of the battleship Washington

Generally used only in the terms of naval warfare, the "main battery" is the primary weapon around which the ship was designed. "Battery", is in itself, a common term in the military science of artillery. For example, the United States Navy battleship USS Washington (BB-56) had a main battery of nine 16-inch (410 mm) cannons arranged in three turrets, two forward and one aft. The secondary battery was dual purpose 5-inch cannons, meaning they could be fired against other ships or used as an anti-aircraft weapon. Newer vessels are designed with anti-ship missiles, replacing heavy Naval artillery designs. An excellent example would be the Soviet/Russian Kirov class rocket cruisers. In the 1980's the four battleships of the United States Iowa class were fitted with Tomahawk and Harpoon missiles, their 16-inch cannons were still retained, but to give an idea of their relative value, see the April 19, 1989 explosion which killed several crew and put turret 2 out of action aboard Iowa. The ship continued to operate even without the use of the turret until she was decommissioned in October 1990, its importance displaced by the cruise missiles she carried.