Lars is correct. Zumwalt is a DDG, therefore has an AAW ability. If built to her original design, with SPY-4, she would have had nearly the AAW ability of a Burke, lacking primarily in VLS numbers. As it is, with just her SPY-3, she can still perform area AAW with Standard Missiles.
It was not a typo, but outdated info on my part. Thank you for catching me up! I have confirmed that the original Sea Sparrow design had a range of around 7 miles. However, I also now see that the system "has come a long way, baby." Many more upgrades than I realized, and the current ESSM isn't even the same airframe as the Sparrow. "Sparrow" is just the name. It is only remotely connected to the original weapon (which was derived from the Air Force Sparrow air-to-air missile.)
Officially, the range is classified:
https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2168978/evolved-seasparrow-missile-block-1-essm-rim-162d/
As is the range of the older Sea Sparrow:
https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2168965/seasparrow-missile-rim-7/
However, I have found sources other than Wikipedia which suggest the last versions of Sea Sparrow had a range close to 15 miles, while ESSM could legitimately have double that...30 miles, though still listed as a point defense weapon.
Does alter my thinking on things. Thank you again for the update!
Nor a place for a Zumwalt either come to think about it.
Now there is the Carney far from Europe with its BMD capabilities plinking drones Go Navy! And when is the Constellation to join the fleet 2030?
Ralph ESSM has greater range than 7 miles (typo perhaps? ).It is closer to 30 miles
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As I was typing, I was thinking "isn't there another one?" There is.
The VLS cells can hold ESSM...Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles. These have a range of about 7 miles, a bit longer than SeaRAM. They are also meant as Point Defense for the ship, but--like SeaRAM--can defend other ships inside this radius from the firing ship. Each VLS cell can hold 4 ESSM.
In the same attack, HMS Diamond used a Sea Viper (Aster) SAM. Also a costly missile. In the case of the RN destroyer, it is specified in the sources I read that she was defending a nearby merchant ship.
AA specialist ships like the USS Carney and HMS Diamond are designed to provide Area Air Defense to groups of ships. That is done with these sorts of large missiles. They have ranges over 100 miles, thus they can defend a group of ships under their "umbrella" for a large patch of ocean around them. It takes these kinds of missiles to provide this ability.
For the Carney (I am not up to speed on the Diamond) she has a layered defense ability. Long Range Area Defense is provided by the Standard Missile family of missiles, with a version of the SM-2 being most common, but now SM-6 is also "coming on the scene" more.
The next layer comes from her SeaRAM missiles. These are Point Defense weapons, having a range of only about 5 miles, and can only defend other ships if they are within that proximity to the firing vessel. Otherwise, they are meant to defend Carney from attacks directed specifically at her, and which got past her outer Standard Missile defense. Normally, Burkes do not carry SeaRAM, but Carney is one of a group of destroyers assigned to ballistic missile defense work. Her radars are then frequently pointed up into space, and she is then vulnerable to an undetected attack launched from a surface source. SeaRAM is self contained, and has its own surface scanning radar, so it can scan, detect, and fire independently from the ship's AEGIS system. That is why all the ballistic missile assigned destroyers got backfitted with a SeaRAM (and you can tell which ships are assigned to the duty by which have this weapon.)
The last two layers are gun systems, both the Phalanx 20 MM gun, and the Mk 38 MOD 2 25 MM gun. These have a range of a few miles, and are "last ditch," engaging whatever has gotten really close.
All these have been mentioned below already.
Nothing I have read about Carney specifies whether she was performing Area Defense or not. I have read that it is not clear whether she was the target. As earlier noted, HMS Diamond was not defending herself, and was performing Area Defense. It is likely this drone swarm was rather spread over a large area, headed in a general direction towards Carney, but also other nearby ships which Carney was put there to defend. And it is almost certain she detected them well over 5 miles away, which is SeaRAM range, and wanted them destroyed as far away as possible. That is precisely what the Standard Missile is for, expensive as it is.
There are labs (like DARPA) working on cheaper classified alternatives precisely because of how expensive it has become. Until they come out of the lab into operation, you're looking at this expensive scenario.
Yes, they can certainly be overwhelmed. Normally they operate in groups, so have a collective capability, which helps, but an enemy with enough resources can still overwhelm them.
Read each drone was shot down with a SAM. Also that these drones are throwaway one way type programmed sorties.
If both of the above is correct, does the USS Carney and similar vessels have other means to shoot down drones other than a SAM? Also read it is $2million per SAM and storage is limited. Wondering if they can be overwhelmed by a mass attack.
Some merchant ships were struck by drone armaments so assuming they are low warhead type of munitions.
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