Small escorts, drones, and the return of armed merchantmen

Will navies need small escorts like the Flower class again because drones threaten shipping?

Small escorts may return as uncrewed craft, while layered guns, missiles, electronic warfare, and armed merchant ships can make the drone threat manageable.

A new generation of small escorts is plausible, and many may be uncrewed. Vulnerability to drones depends heavily on whether ships carry layered weapons and operate with supporting escorts. The Italian example combines medium guns, close-in weapons, and missiles, with the more demanding threats receiving missile engagements. The defensive approach includes withdrawing before magazines are exhausted and returning with support. Cheap drones also face the distances, moving targets, and strong winds encountered at sea: a drone flying at 50 km/h for five hours has a nominal range of only 250 km before considering wind. Merchant ships may need stockpiled packages containing 30 mm guns, radar, and power generation. A later follow-up adds that inexpensive drones often lack protection against the electronic-warfare equipment carried by warships.