Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:32:47-2:33:39

Small drone weapons can mission-kill a modern warship

A grenade-sized aerial attack is judged unlikely to sink a modern ship but capable of disabling exposed sensors and communications.

Asymmetric WarfareCommunicationsDronesMission KillRadarWarship Survivability
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Question

How vulnerable are modern warships to small drones dropping anti-tank grenades?

Short answer

Such weapons are unlikely to sink the ship, but a hit on exposed radars or communications could produce a valuable mission kill.

Notes

The hull and magazines of a modern warship are not easily destroyed by a small improvised munition. Radars, antennas, and communications equipment must remain exposed, however, and a hit on those systems can prevent the ship from performing its assigned task. In wartime, forcing a combatant to withdraw for repair can be operationally valuable even when it remains afloat. The answer therefore distinguishes a mission kill from a physical sinking and treats the former as a realistic goal for small drones.