Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:52:47-1:53:30

Why Rolling Airframe Missile does not count in the VLS rating

The rating system excludes short-range Rolling Airframe Missile launchers because it treats them as close-in defence rather than point-defence-or-longer missile positions.

Close-In Weapon SystemsRIM-116 Rolling Airframe MissileVertical Launch SystemsWarship Classification
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Question

Would a 21-cell Rolling Airframe Missile launcher count toward the video's warship rating?

Short answer

No. Its short range makes it a close-in weapon for this system, which begins with point-defence missiles such as ESSM and Sea Ceptor.

Notes

The lower boundary of the video's missile-based rating system begins with weapons such as ESSM and Sea Ceptor. Rolling Airframe Missile remains an effective defensive weapon, but its shorter range places it with close-in systems for this comparison. The same logic excludes a ship's main gun from the launcher count. The rating is a deliberately simplified classification tool rather than a complete measure of defensive strength.