Question: What has changed over the last 10 years in the anti-ship missile market? Answer: Not a whole lot. Operation Unified Protector, the air campaign to support Libyan rebels fighting the Qadhafi regime, provided little opportunity for NATO to demonstrate the capability of its anti-ship missiles. This was also the situation during Operation Desert Storm. The most significant recent success of an anti-ship missile came in July 2006 when Hezbollah attacked an Israeli warship. Hezbollah gunners damaged the INS Hanit with a C802 missile provided by Iran. Still, the media's attention soon turned to other topics. The continued lack of media attention to this market, even among defense publications, does not mean it has ceased to exist. In fact, this market is slowly undergoing a fundamental change and evolving into something new. For decades, anti-ship missiles were heavily produced by the navies of the West and the former communist bloc. These missiles were seen as the primary weapon of surface combatants and naval aircraft for use in shipping. This situation changed with the fall of the Soviet Union. As the chances for a major naval war receded, demand for anti-ship missiles fell. Nevertheless, anti-ship missiles remain a key weapon in the arsenals of navies.
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