Drone threats and the gun defences actually fitted

Are drones overhyped when autocannons and medium-caliber naval guns already offer counters?

Their novelty is overhyped, but many ships lack the guns they could fit; vessels such as Type 31 are better placed once their planned gun armament is installed.

The assessment distinguishes the availability of defensive guns from their installation aboard individual ships. A missile-heavy ship without those guns can remain vulnerable even when suitable weapons exist. Type 31 is judged better placed once its intended gun fit is aboard. The cost example compares a million-pound interception with a billion-pound ship requiring five years to replace. That example supports evaluating the defended asset as well as the incoming drone. Claims that small drones make the rest of the fleet obsolete are compared with earlier Jeune École arguments.