Sounds like an easy fix.
Jeeze, they can’t even make the deck flat. Don’t tell me they are using EEOC types to build these things.
Modifying a ship for a function it was inadequately designed for could be colossally expensive. I think the technology is here for a couple of dedicated, AI enhanced, swarm ships that would cruise very close to the Queen Elizabeth on both sides, bow and stern. These small ships would be cheap enough to just swap out if the technology changes beyond whatever defenses they already have installed. Networked in with the entire fleet’s defenses they’d have a heads-up for attacks that might otherwise be out of their radar envelope due to their small size. The AI feature would allow them to begin firing in the right vicinity even before they could, themselves, see the incoming missile.
Bear in mind; modern missiles maneuver when they get in range of the target. Therefore whatever retrofitted system used by the QE would need to be very robust. Missiles are generally moving faster than the mechanical slew rate and projectile travel time of any weapons system.
I remember seeing photos of WWII battleships and aircraft carriers.
As the war progressed and newer ships were built and older ones refitted, they added huge numbers of anti-aircraft guns.
The US now spends 3.3% of GDP on defense, about $600 billion, under Obama, woefully inadequate for treaty & other military commitments.
We should be at least 4% which is roughly $800 billion.
The world average defense spending is 2.2% of GDP and rising.
The Brits spend just 1.9% of their GDP on defense, circa $50 billion, a ludicrous number and if they refuse to match US spending percent, then the difference should be paid to the US treasury for the invaluable service of keeping their sorry hindquarters safe.
That’s why they lost HMS Sheffield in ‘82...
Well, heck, she has no aircraft, so why waste an ASM on her?