The Type 31 frigate's gun armament provides a modern example of using numerous inexpensive projectiles against aerial threats. Its planned battery has a 57 mm gun forward and two 40 mm guns. These are single-gun mounts, compared here with the earlier period when navies considered single anti-aircraft mounts sufficient. Expectations can change rapidly when a ship faces many attackers at once. A threat that once seemed manageable with one barrel can create demand for substantially more volume of fire.
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Type 31 frigates and the volume of fire against drone swarms
The Type 31's planned 57 mm and 40 mm guns provide a modern comparison with earlier debates over how many barrels a ship needs against air attack.