Could an aircraft carrying six AGM-65 Mavericks sink modern warships after penetrating their air defenses?
Short answerThey could sink many smaller warships; against a larger ship, the result depends on whether the hits strike critical compartments.
NotesSix AGM-65 Mavericks are judged capable of causing enough damage to sink many smaller warships if the attacking aircraft gets through their air defenses. For larger ships, the location of each hit becomes decisive. Six hits in separate nonessential compartments might leave the ship afloat and functioning, while hits in critical compartments could start an uncontrollable fire. Ships approaching 10,000 tons or more are presented as better able to absorb such damage because of their compartmentalization.