Missiles let an individual ship defend a large area, but the Earth's curvature still restricts what its own sensors can see. Operating with other ships, aircraft or land systems helps address those limits. Recent Russian operations in the Black Sea are criticised for exposing ships individually despite the acknowledged shortage of units. Solo operations can be sensible in permissive or suitably controlled conditions, as earlier independent frigate operations illustrate. In a heavily contested area, the computing and system demands make a vessel capable of handling everything alone unusual. Crewed supporting assets also provide people who can maintain equipment, restore data and solve problems as they arise.
Notable Point · 2:14:54-2:17:36
Why contested air defence needs supporting ships and sensors
Long missile reach leaves the radar horizon and support requirements in place, making isolated ships vulnerable in high-threat waters.