Sea Dart was not optimised for low-flying anti-ship missiles, while Sea Wolf provided the fleet's most credible hard-kill defence. Electronic warfare and chaff might decoy roughly half the incoming weapons, leaving the two Type 22s to engage the remainder with their ready missiles. Missile leakage remains likely because no system works perfectly in combat, even when the arithmetic appears to provide two defensive shots per surviving missile. A broadcasting Type 42 was a more likely aim point than a carrier, and two closely spaced hits could destroy it even if the rest of the task group survived.
Chapter · 33:35-38:16
Exocet saturation could still put a Type 42 at risk
Chaff and Sea Wolf might defeat most of twenty incoming Exocets, but imperfect defences left a realistic chance that one or two missiles would hit a radar-emitting destroyer.