Page 21 - ADT AUG - OCT 2024 Digital Magazine | GBP

INVESTING IN SAFETY

Recent and ongoing conflicts, and the emergence

of complex threats, have taught navies the importance

of improving their shipborne air-defence capabilities

By ARUN SIVASANKARAN
B attlefields are litmus tests reminder to maritime forces about Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS

Carney, operating in the Red Sea,
for weapons, a place
increasingly complex threats to sur-
where reputations are
made or destroyed. face units and the need to improve shot down numerous cruise missiles
shipborne air-defence capabilities.
and UAVs launched by Yemen’s
With technological innovations spur- Ansarullah (Houthi) movement
In the early days of the ongoing ring the development of more potent that were headed for Israel, using
Russia-Ukraine war, two Neptune weapons, naval platforms have to Standard SM-2 missiles and other
anti-ship missiles launched by be capable of defending against weapons. More recently, destroy-
Ukraine destroyed guided missile not lethal anti-ship and land-attack
cruiser Moskva, the flagship of cruise and ballistic missiles but also ers USS Thomas Hudner and USS
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and the direct-attack munitions unmanned Mason also defeated air threats
largest Russian warship to be sunk aerial vehicles (UAVs). reportedly from locations in Yemen.
in wartime since the end of World Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Chief of
War II. Naval Operations, said in February
Taking No Chances this year that navy destroyers in the
As is to be expected, there has region had successfully intercepted
been a significant spike in inter- With powerful weapons now fall- 14 anti-ship ballistic missiles, 7
est among militaries in anti-ship ing into the hands of non-state cruise missiles, and over 70 drones.
missiles since Ukraine’s strike. actors as well, navies are taking no The U.K. and France are also
Moskva’s sinking was also a timely chances. In October last year, the patrolling in the region, with Royal
ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY AUGUST - OCTOBER 2024 | 21