Should a navy choose pom-pom or Bofors?

How do the pom-pom and Bofors systems compare in theory and practice?

Neither is universally better: the pom-pom favors sustained belt-fed fire, while the Bofors favors longer-ranged aimed engagement, so the right choice depends on the expected threat and doctrine.

Choosing one gun in isolation hides the different problems each system solved. The pom-pom supplied ammunition volume and sustained fire for repeated or dense attacks. The Bofors reached farther and better suited navies seeking earlier disruption or more deliberate engagement of smaller groups. Later medium-caliber AA systems combined lessons from both, especially Bofors reach with the large ammunition supply associated with the pom-pom.