Here's the thing that bugs me: I have major doubts about the future of manned combat aircraft because of lasers. I have serious reservations about the future of satellites. I have doubts about drones because, if autonomous, I don't trust them and, if not, the link between operator and drone strikes me as very vulnerable.
Sure, planes can stand off and keep low but that, too, is reducing their effectiveness. So, maybe our carriers, though dominant now, don't have much of a future. Oh, not today and not tomorrow, but some number of tomorrows away.
Given that, I think maybe we need to be looking at both real armor and long range heavy guns again. I could be shown different.
Small drones are highly vulnerable to a well designed EW (jamming+RDF&arty)+ SHORAD. For example, build a 25mm prox fuze, you can make really small radios in a semiconductor fab along with the mechanical parts as MEMS. Plus AA lasers will also toast moderate+ sized drones, cruise missiles, even some long range rockets and missiles.
Modern concept of naval armor is 1.5 cm of aluminum. 57 mm should be more than adequate. It might even be overkill.
Here's the thing that bugs me: I have major doubts about the future of manned combat aircraft because of lasers. I have serious reservations about the future of satellites. I have doubts about drones because, if autonomous, I don't trust them and, if not, the link between operator and drone strikes me as very vulnerable.
Sure, planes can stand off and keep low but that, too, is reducing their effectiveness. So, maybe our carriers, though dominant now, don't have much of a future. Oh, not today and not tomorrow, but some number of tomorrows away.
Given that, I think maybe we need to be looking at both real armor and long range heavy guns again. I could be shown different.
Small drones are highly vulnerable to a well designed EW (jamming+RDF&arty)+ SHORAD. For example, build a 25mm prox fuze, you can make really small radios in a semiconductor fab along with the mechanical parts as MEMS. Plus AA lasers will also toast moderate+ sized drones, cruise missiles, even some long range rockets and missiles.