Reference News Network September 14 report - According to the U.S. "Defense News" weekly website September 11 report, executives from BAE Systems in the UK believe that forward-deployed naval drones can provide air defense protection for warships, and future naval ship air defense measures may include drone escort teams equipped with electronic warfare equipment or anti-drone artillery.

This concept stems from recent lessons learned in maritime operations: to strike targets from a safe distance with sufficient hit rate while trying to minimize interception costs.

The report said that Robert Meriwether, technical director of BAE Systems, pointed out at the International Defense and Security Equipment Exhibition held in London, UK, that currently deployed low-cost anti-drone measures (such as electronic warfare or artillery strikes) often have shortcomings such as short range or low success rate.

He believes the solution could be to use these measures as the first line of defense, while using more expensive high-end systems as backup support.

The report mentioned that in the Red Sea convoy operations, the issue of cost asymmetry has long troubled Western ships: initially, million-dollar surface-to-air missiles were used to destroy Houthi drones in Yemen, and later the tactics were adjusted to allow some drones to enter the effective range of shipboard artillery and electronic warfare equipment.

Meriwether said, "The cost of a single electronic warfare system is the lowest, but its success probability is also the lowest, and its effective range is the shortest. Currently, high-end weapon systems have the farthest operational radius, so you will first use these weapons. But in a war of attrition, this model is unsustainable."

This executive said that the military is currently facing a "difficult choice": whether to allow drones to threaten to enter the effective range of electronic warfare weapons. Compared to expensive missiles, electronic warfare weapons, although having the lowest success rate, are the most sustainable combat method.

The report also said that the French Navy has installed electro-optical sensors on frigates to detect threats from a greater distance, allowing the crew to choose to let the threat enter the ship's artillery range rather than using the "Aster" air defense missile.

Meriwether pointed out that one solution could be unmanned vessels or vehicles equipped with electronic warfare capabilities or 40mm airburst shell artillery, which can intercept threats in advance at a location away from the护卫舰 or tanks.

Regarding electronic warfare systems with an operational radius of about 1 kilometer, Meriwether said, "We can deploy electronic warfare systems on drones to play a role before kinetic weapons intercept them."

Meriwether said regarding the 40mm artillery with an effective range of about 4 kilometers, "Unless the effect of the strike can be pushed upstream of the threat, otherwise the threat must approach to a considerable distance before this layer of system can be engaged in combat."

Low-cost drone defense systems may be deployed in areas up to 15 kilometers from naval warships to achieve maximum effectiveness, but even if deployed 3-4 kilometers away, it would be better than existing defense measures.

According to Meriwether, the Royal Navy of the UK is building the 26-class frigates, whose mission compartments will be able to carry several large unmanned surface vessels capable of installing 40mm artillery, as well as unmanned vessels equipped with electronic warfare equipment. (Translated by Yang Xuele)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7549874871161995818/

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