Anti-tank missiles give small naval craft useful firepower

Anti-tank missiles matter at sea when small boats or riverine forces need compact guided firepower. Because many are crew-portable, their design remains constrained by what people can carry and operate. More sophisticated seekers and warheads can shift advantage toward the attacker, while active protection and other countermeasures shift it back toward the defender. Their battlefield effects are unusually visible, making the recurring contest between missile and protection easier to observe than with many naval weapons.