Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:05:25-2:07:35

Do VLS missile layers provide enough defensive redundancy?

VLS offers defensive layers, but duplicated local weapons are still needed if a threat gets through or a mount becomes unavailable.

Close-In Weapon SystemsRedundancyType 055 DestroyerVertical Launch Systems
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Question

Do VLS missile layers provide enough defensive redundancy?

Short answer

They provide several layers, but threats can still leak through and a single local-defense mount can fail or exhaust its ammunition.

Notes

Cooperating ships can combine sensor information, and an incoming weapon's approach can simplify an engagement. A brief distraction or wrong decision can still let it pass through a missile layer. Type 055's local missile launcher is aft and its gun system forward, leaving each with its own coverage and ammunition limits. The suggested remedy is two gun systems and two missile launchers on opposite corners, with overlapping arcs. That arrangement would preserve local coverage when a mount fails and give some directions support from three systems.