One problem with Flight IIA and Flight III Burkes is that they do not have dedicated antiship cruise missiles save for the forthcoming Maritime Strike Tomahawk or MST variant of Tomahawk. NSMs are smaller than Harpoon, stealthier, and have a longer range. NSM canister launchers could be embarked or a VLS canister developed to accommodate the NSM as part of the Mk 41 VLS. The Adaptable Deck Launcher is another possibility that uses Mk 41 canisters and is available in self-defense and strike lengths. This is cheaper than MST and suitable for an SAG when extreme MST range is not required. As it is, until MST comes out, the modern Burkes are almost toothless in antiship action being dependent on SM-2 and SM-6 AAW missiles against ships and have small warheads not optimized for antiship work.
statistics: Posted by sciquest — 7:34 PM - 1 day ago — Replies 2 — Views 80