What advantage does a gun close-in weapon system offer over a missile alternative such as lightweight Sea Wolf?
Short answerIt is cheaper, easier to reload at sea, and can carry many more engagements in the same magazine space.
NotesReloadability and magazine density are the gun system's main advantages. Ammunition can be stored in greater numbers and replenished more readily than a finite set of lightweight missiles. Guns are also cheaper for small drones that are too robust for electronic defeat but do not justify an expensive missile. The comparison therefore turns on endurance and target economics as much as single-shot performance.