Originally Posted by
FullWings
If it did have certain assets on board, would you want to tow it back to port while it’s on fire? I know these kinds of weapons are by nature highly unlikely to go off properly unless triggered on purpose, but even a “fizzle” might be a big problem...
Back to a port: Of course.
There is no need to move it into the harbor right away, though just outside, to let it cool down, etc. Why not. Even, when it would be upright, still sinking, you might be interested to let it land on a shallow seabed and, when salvageable, raise again, etc. Being able to recover a hull of a warship could be a significant saving, compared to "new". Although, this one is 40 years old, but, yeah, when having a situation with a lack of money, maybe better a wrinkled hull, than no hull. And, when still floating, a huge amount of accessories would be available for salvaging and reuse. These accessories tend to be "custom-made", so spares would be welcome.