Enhanced small-calibre systems offer shipborne stopping power

摘要

The heightened threat to ships in harbour or moored alongside is driving many navies to consider the use of improved close-range self-defence weaponry. The attack on the US Navy (USN) DDG 51 destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) in the port of Aden, Yemen, in October 2000 was a watershed for naval force protection in the modern era. It provided a stark illustration of the vulnerability of modern thin-hulled warships while alongside or manoeuvring at slow speed in the confines of a crowded harbour.