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To: SmokingJoe

It is hugely expensive to fit naval surface combatants with even a modicum of the defensive weaponry that would make them able to survive in this silicon chip age of pinpoint stealthy drones and missiles.Doubt there are any such ships in the Royal Navy these days. The Russian surface combatatants were pathetically vulnerable to Ukrainian drones. Also the US Navy has learned that it is not sustainable to fight off $30,000 drones with defensive missiles that can cost over $1 million per missile and are rapidly depleted when a ship is attacked.


32 posted on 08/16/2026 6:40:26 PM PDT by allendale
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To: allendale

The UK’s top missile destroyers (they have 6) should be able to do a credible job of missile defense, but, the UK does not seem to be able to keep even one out to sea for more than a few weeks at a time, without needing to come back in for often lengthy repairs...

Drones can be fought off with all sorts of systems besides missiles — interceptor missiles are our longest range, and in a sense “safest” defense, but our Arleigh-Burke destroyers have 3 layers of defense: Eventually risk vs. cost may need to be rethought. Better though, is to smother the attacking launchers with our own Ukie style drones. We are badly tardy in addressing that.


49 posted on 08/17/2026 12:47:44 PM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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