Containerized weapons also create an awkward armed-merchant tradeoff. A ship may need the electrical plant of a refrigerated container carrier or additional generator containers, and a visibly uniform deck load gives away the conversion. The illustrated concept provides only about 60 missiles on a very large hull. That might offer a smaller state a deterrent it otherwise lacks, but a major power has less conspicuous ways to move the same number of weapons. Risking a scarce refrigerated cargo ship for such a modest magazine could sacrifice more wartime logistics value than the weapon fit provides.
Notable Point · 21:32-24:57
Armed merchant ships trade missile density for valuable hulls
A container ship carrying visible missile boxes may offer a niche deterrent, but its low magazine density and valuable commercial hull make the bargain unattractive for a major navy.