Point-defence weapons that can fight alone

Direct-control tables and optical or tachymetric fire control cannot react quickly enough to serve as useful fallbacks against modern supersonic and hypersonic threats. Point-defence systems with their own small radar offer a more practical form of redundancy. Phalanx, Goalkeeper, and Kashtan can accept better data from the ship while retaining an automatic local mode if that connection is lost. HMS Vanguard's six twin Bofors mountings provide an earlier example of a compact local radar preserving some defensive capability. A dependent C-RAM launcher may have no useful fallback when severed from its sensors, although adding a small radar only helps if its warning range leaves time to engage. The design value lies in preserving a lesser protected capability that can still affect the outcome.