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Laid down in 1944, the USS Kentucky (BB-66) was intended to be the sixth Iowa-class battleship but was never commissioned and scrapped in 1958. The ship, designed to displace 57,000 tons and reach 33 knots, was never completed due to the growing dominance of aircraft carriers.

Although plans included converting it into a guided-missile battleship, none were realized. In 1956, a section of Kentucky's bow was used to repair the USS Wisconsin, and its engines were later installed in fast combat support ships.

The Kentucky's cancellation symbolized the U.S. Navy's shift away from battleships toward air power and missile technology.