Procurement cost and fleet composition also shape the defensive calculation. Because hypersonic weapons are expensive, an attacker is unlikely to spend them casually on minor targets. A battleship important enough to justify that expenditure would be unlikely to operate alone in a major war. Its uncrewed screen could be supported by a submarine and a carrier group farther astern, making the engagement a contest between force structures rather than a single missile and hull.
Notable Point · 15:51-16:45
Hypersonic weapons belong in a fleet-level cost exchange
Expensive hypersonic weapons are most likely to be reserved for valuable targets that operate inside larger formations rather than in isolated ship-versus-missile contests.