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Opinion

Cheaper Missiles, UAVs, and Especially Guns Are Key to Drone Defense

Cheaper Missiles, UAVs, and Especially Guns Are Key to Drone Defense
M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) conduct live-fire missions during Operation Epic Fury in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Part of this photo was blurred for security purposes. U.S. Army Photo
Mike Fredenburg
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Commentary
The Red Sea fight and other battles over the last year have laid bare the stark reality that the Navy has known for years, but is only now starting to address—defending against drones and UAVs with missiles costing $1 million to $28 million each has created an unsustainable cost asymmetry. In the Red Sea area alone, some 15 months of defending against Houthi drone attacks and some cheap low-end missiles, U.S. warships fired roughly 120 SM-2s, 80 SM-6s, a handful of ESSMs, and an undisclosed number of very expensive SM-3s, costing about $1 billion.
Mike Fredenburg
Mike Fredenburg
Author
Mike Fredenburg writes on military technology and defense matters with an emphasis on defense reform. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and master’s degree in production operations management.