The Navy Needs Advanced Guns and Cheaper Missiles to Defend Against Drone Swarms

Getting more value for our defense dollar has gained in urgency as we have seen the proliferation of cheap drones that can severely damage a ship.

Iranian drones—similar to what Hezbollah used against Israel on Oct. 13, 2024—are lined up at a military exercise in a secret location in Iran on Aug. 24, 2022. Iranian Army/WANA/Handout via Reuters

Commentary

In order to defend its ships and defeat its enemies, our Navy needs to employ inexpensive, highly effective missiles such as those that Israel is now making standard on its ships. It also needs to take advantage of the great strides in gun technology to provide its ships with a big boost in air defense capabilities.