I see the idea is to replace the Phalanx with the rolling airframe missile, at least in the short term. Sounds like it has a good amount of common components as the sidewinder.
That seems like alot and extreme thermal cycling unless the keep it cool DURING operation. High thermal cycle deltas wreck havoc via thermal corrosion and oxidation for even resistant metallic like Haynes 230 and Hastalloy materials....not to mention stress cracking. If your using ceramics and glasses that need to be brazed to metal housings the braze materials are an interesting issue.
I wonder what operational temps they are experiencing now. Thanks for the info. This will be a point of study for me...
I expect we will see solid state lasers on warships in the 20-teens. The newer reactors will make it possible and I expect they will dramatically improve defenses. But, there will also then be a technology race in counter-measures as well in terms of making the missiles and projectiles laser resistant (various types of coatings, etc.). That will lead to enventual more exotic directed energy weapons.
But, in the midst of it, I see systems like RAM and improved kinetic weapons (like Phalanx) also remaining in place. Enabling an incoming missle or round to evade all three types will be very difficult.