Gun coverage, drone swarms, and laser support

Second World War warships commonly combined heavy anti-aircraft guns with 40 mm weapons, then 20 mm guns and machine guns. The comparison asks whether modern ships carry enough weapons to provide several defensive layers across every approach. An illustrative arrangement of four 76 mm mounts and four Phalanx systems aims to provide overlapping coverage against drone swarms. DragonFire is welcomed as a useful additional system, with gun systems retained alongside it. A 57 mm gun is offered as an alternative when a navy does not select 76 mm. The panel considers those two calibres similar enough in performance that fitting both on the same ship would offer little benefit.