In the hypothetical 1939 deployment, a Condor would face a guided missile threat for which it had not been designed. Sea Cat is proposed for these relatively vulnerable aircraft, preserving the 4.5-inch guns for surfaced submarines and more demanding air attacks. That advantage does not make Sea Cat infallible. A fighter or dive bomber making a rapid maneuver could still evade it. Radar-directed guns and proximity-fuzed ammunition would remain useful alongside the missiles.
Notable Point · 2:30:47-2:33:06
Sea Cat and naval guns against World War II aircraft
The Leander counterfactual distinguishes vulnerable Condors from faster aircraft whose sharp maneuvers could defeat Sea Cat.