Will drone swarms bring back AA cruisers?

Will anti-aircraft cruisers return to counter drone swarms?

Probably not as a distinct cruiser type, though warships are likely to carry more medium-caliber guns and directed-energy defenses for the role.

The Type 31's 57 mm and 40 mm weapons and the Italian preference for 76 mm guns suggest renewed interest in gun-based inner layers. Lasers could supplement a larger medium-calibre gun battery against drones. Future designs such as Type 83 could also carry a heavier secondary battery in addition to the main deck gun. The likely result is a revived layered defence within ordinary escorts rather than a return to the World War II AA-cruiser category.