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Of course there are defenses...and several of them.

The Onyx devices are capable of being fired from underwater, and they fly at a speed of 2,460 feet per second, carrying a devastating, high-explosive warhead weighing half a ton. The missiles have a range of more than 372.8 miles.

The Onyx is guided to its target by a navigational system that operates on target designation data provisionally input to the missile before it is launched. At a predetermined point in the trajectory (15–50 miles), the missile’s homing device is briefly activated and determines the precise location of the target.

The next time the homing device is activated is after a sharp reduction in altitude to 15–50 feet, just seconds before it hits the enemy. This is to ensure that, when the enemy detects the missile’s launch, it cannot “jam” the missile with electronic countermeasures.

So, when the missile is launched and broaches the surface, it is very likely, if the task force they are attacking is alerted and combat ready, that this (as well as the others from the "pack") will be noticed.

Then the things, as it says, at a certain point, have to themselves acquire the target. The US can be jamming these things from the moment of launch, right through that time period. Therefore, if the acquisition is successfully jammed, they cannot acquire their target.

Then, the thing flies ate a certain altitude and then changes that altitude well out from the target to sea skimming. US antio-missile missiles have the range to hit them before they ever lower their altitude. So there is another segment of the engagement that can be employed to defeat them.

Then, once the thing is coming in at very low level, the Close IN systems will have time to also attempt to shoot them down. These are the RAM, SeaRAM< and Phalnx systems. Another point of potential defeat.

Finally, the US will employ close in countermeasures of both the decoy "chaff" variety, and electronics to defeate them. Passive electronics to spoof them or jam them, and now active electronics to fry their circuitry.

So, there are numerous defenses that will be employed.

The faster and more difficult the trajectory, the harder the intercept. And, the more missiles coming at once, the harder the intercept.

But the AEGIS system is designed, and constantly upgraded against new threats precisely to do this. In the end, if, God forbid, it ever comes to a shooting war, we will find out who is really ahead of the technology curve.

One last thing. In any combat situation, the US forces will be scouring the sea with aircraft and attack submarines to find these vessels to...to try and interdict them before they ever launch.