Key Points and Summary – The US Navy just lived through a warning in the Red Sea: cheap enemy drones and missiles can drain million-dollar interceptors fast.
-Instead of fighting penny with platinum, the fleet is pivoting.
Two F-35C Lightning II carrier variant joint strike fighters conduct the first catapult launches aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). The F-35 Lightning II Pax River Integrated Test Force from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 is conducting initial at-sea trials aboard Nimitz. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin by Dane Wiedmann/Released)
-Think AI-guided lasers with near-limitless “shots,” AGR-20 laser-guided rockets for budget kills, and uncrewed barges packing Typhon launchers to boost magazine depth without risking sailors.
-Industry is surging SM-6 and SM-3 production, but the bigger shift is doctrinal—pairing Aegis with directed energy, autonomous shooters, and crews now blooded by real combat.
-If China brings mass, the Navy’s answer is resilience, replenishment, and smarter defenses that trade dollars better than the threat.
The US Navy Has Solutions for Ships Threatened By Drones and Missiles
Are US Navy aircraft carriers and surface ships more vulnerable now than ever? Enemy anti-ship ballistic missiles and drones are more plentiful and powerful. Just take a look at recent naval engagements with the Iran-backed Houthis terrorists in Yemen. The Houthis continued to launch missiles and drones at US carrier strike groups. There were some close calls, but no ships were hit. However, the Navy was operating at its highest level of readiness, and many intercepting missiles used to destroy the incoming threats were quickly drawn down.
It may be time for the Navy to switch over to its own unmanned ships and use lasers to shoot down enemy drones and ballistic missiles. Lasers have unlimited “shots” without the need for expensive interceptors like the SM-6. Unmanned vessels do not put sailors in harm’s way. The Navy must transform itself because in a potential fight with China, the enemy will have numerous and more improved drones and anti-ship missiles.
The Chinese will also be better trained than the Houthis, and the instruments for war will have improved designs and tactics.
Supply of Intercepting Missiles Dangerously Low
A conflict with China would create a high operational tempo environment, which Business Insider has called “unsustainable,” according to an admiral interviewed who spoke about the expense and low numbers of defensive interceptors.
These critical munitions could run out during battle. In the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Americans used hundreds of interceptors to fight Houthi anti-ship missiles and drones.
The US Navy Is Working Closely With Industry for More Interceptors
The United States also shot down some Iranian missiles that were aimed at Israel. This defensive activity comes with a high cost. The Navy did not anticipate that there would be so much enemy fire at its ships and aimed toward its allies.
The Houthis’ engagements were a wake-up call, and it will only get worse as U.S. adversaries notice that the American defense industrial base may not be able to produce enough air defense munitions. The Navy is working feverishly with defense contractors to make sure interceptors are in high supply at all times. There needs to be a specific and robust plan in place to ensure these munitions can be replenished when required.
The High Costs for Modern Interceptors
The SM-3, along with the SM-6 interceptor, was used repeatedly against the Houthis. The SM-3 costs between $10 and $30 million, while the SM-6 costs around $4 million each. Meanwhile, the Houthis utilized drones that cost only a few thousand dollars.
One can do the math and find that this is an expensive type of battle, placing the Navy in a bind.
Try Less Expensive Laser-Guided Rockets
One defensive weapon the Navy found compelling was the lower-cost laser-guided rockets, which could take out the Houthis’ loitering and kamikaze drones.
“The $25,000 AGR-20 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System rocket is significantly cheaper than a $500,000 air-to-air missile. And these rockets are substantially cheaper than ship-launched SM-2 interceptors — weapons on the lower end of the Navy’s missile defense capabilities that cost more than $2 million,” according to Business Insider.
Lasers Appear Promising, Especially Run By AI
The Navy also wants to supplement the interceptors and rockets by using lasers to “fry” incoming threats. An artificial intelligence-powered direct energy system is in the works.
Human operators of lasers can slow down the kill chain, but when AI is integrated into the laser, this results in a quicker rate of fire with better identification, tracking, and elimination.
Directed energy and AI are considered Department of Defense Critical Technology Areas, and the Navy is rapidly implementing these systems on its ships.
“Defending against one drone isn’t a problem. But if there are multiple drones, then sending million-dollar interceptor missiles becomes a very expensive tradeoff because the drones are very cheap,” said Distinguished Professor Brij Agrawal, Naval Post Graduate School’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. “The Navy has several laser weapons systems being developed and tested. Laser weapons systems are cheap to fire but expensive to build. But once it’s built, then it can keep on firing, like a few dollars per shot,” according to a Navy news release.
Unmanned Barges Have Their Own Air Defense Launchers
Another option is unmanned ships that field interceptor launchers. The Navy is working on the Modular Attack Surface Craft. This will be an uncrewed vessel featuring two shipping containers that house MK 70 Typhon launchers, capable of firing four SM-6 interceptors.
It would increase the supply of defensive projectiles, supplement existing air defenses, and help shoot down enemy drones and anti-ship missiles that are missed by the laser systems and the Aegis Combat System.
The fight also boils down to how well individual sailors are trained. U.S. Navy personnel who manned battle stations during Houthi attacks are now combat-hardened. They have learned lessons about what has worked well and what has not.
Their Chinese adversaries do not have the same type of experiences. With the advent of lasers and unmanned ships, the U.S. Navy should become more resilient in the face of drone and anti-ship missile attacks.
The name of the game will be resupplying interceptors and implementing new technologies.
The Navy remains relevant and will be even more effective in future engagements should new defensive systems be introduced.
It will be the fight of the future that the Americans must win. Warships are indeed vulnerable, but this is not a showstopper for the Navy.
As new defensive systems come online, the maritime branch will be even better able to defend its precious ships.
The future lies in improved manufacturing for new interceptors, unmanned ships, more affordable defensive rockets, and lasers operated by artificial intelligence.
Additionally, the US Navy will utilize sailors with combat experience to train new personnel, bringing them up to speed on air defense.
This should form a recipe that enables friendly warships to survive in multi-threat environments.
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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