Subject: Re: let's talk BBG...
My favorite defense economics person has weighed-in on this. Summary: probably a bad idea. He makes several points I made, but also says we don't have the shipyards to build ships this big.

CDR Salamander has some background:

https://cdrsalamander.substack...

A New Year, a "New" Weapon, & an Old Tale
...like I said, the future is not swarms of small drones...

When it comes to trying to figure out the response to drones, the accountants and industrialists have been ringing the bell for a few problems.

Using a $2,000,000 missile to bring down a $200,000 drone is unsustainable.

Having 35 AAW missiles to counter a mix of 125 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles is not a sustainable way to hold open a sea lane or defend an airfield.

What can you do? Well, you can find a way to use cheaper anti-air guns at sea and ashore. You can find a way to repurpose old or cheaper weapons to do the job. You can indirectly attack them with electronic warfare…or you can look for something “new.”

This is why just adding more VLS cells isn't the only answer. More is needed.

If there is one military in the world that does not have the luxury of relying on vaporware or systems that only work on PPT and the range, it is Israel. Indeed, many of the failures on October 7th were because they bought into comforting ideas and technological shortcuts that Hamas took advantage of. They are extra careful today that they don’t make that same mistake.

So, that is why their laser program is getting my interest.<./i>

Laser systems like this one:
https://breakingdefense.com/20...

The ministry noted that the system, known as “Or Eitan” in Hebrew, was run through “an extensive series of tests against various threats and successfully intercepted rockets, mortars, and UAVs, will be integrated into the IAF and incorporated into Israel’s multi-layered aerial defense array as a complementary capability to the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow systems.”

The potential for laser-based interception of drones, missiles and rockets is one long-desired by militaries, given the cost discrepancy between an expensive kinetic interceptor and incoming small drones or rockets. The Iron Beam can burn or fry objects at a range of around ten kilometers, according to previous statements.

10 klicks to fry stuff at fractions of a penny per shot. Sign us up!

Back to CDR Salamander:
It appears that these are designed to be containerized. So incredibly smart. If they used standard containers, they can be transported by almost anything commercially designed to be the same. Can be placed in untold numbers of locations designed to secure and carry them.

Plug and play…but it does beg the question: how much power does it demand, and can our LCS provide it? I have ideas…