Why the rating system counts launch cells, not every missile

Each vertical-launch cell counts once regardless of quad-packing or the size of the missile fitted. A cell holding one hypersonic weapon receives no extra weight, just as an age-of-sail rating counted gun positions without separately grading every 18- or 36-pounder. Separate canister launchers for full-sized weapons such as Harpoon or heavy Soviet anti-ship missiles still count as launch positions. The Sejong the Great class supplies a concrete example: 144 launch positions place it firmly in the system's first-rate category. This produces a consistent comparison between ships whose actual loadouts can vary greatly. The method deliberately simplifies classification and does not imply that every missile or magazine is equally useful.