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400 Houthi aerial drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles were fired at/near USN ships since Oct 2023
120 SM-2 & 80 SM-6 missiles, 160 five-inch main guns rounds, plus a combined 20 Evolved Sea Sparrow and SM-3 missiles engaged them.
Drone War Cost Trades 🧵
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120 SM-2 & 80 SM-6 missiles, 160 five-inch main guns rounds, plus a combined 20 Evolved Sea Sparrow and SM-3 missiles engaged them.
Drone War Cost Trades 🧵
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Tyler Rogoway has reported the following missile costs:
SM-2 Block IIIC - $2,530,000 per missile.
SM-6 - $4,270,000 per missile.
Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) RIM-162 Block II - $1,490,000 per missile.
SM-3 -$12,510,000 for the Block IB, and $28,700,000 for the Block IIA
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SM-2 Block IIIC - $2,530,000 per missile.
SM-6 - $4,270,000 per missile.
Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) RIM-162 Block II - $1,490,000 per missile.
SM-3 -$12,510,000 for the Block IB, and $28,700,000 for the Block IIA
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So:
120 SM-2 * $2.53 million = $303.6 million
80 SM-6 * $4.27 million = $341.6 million
12 ESSM (guess) = $17.88 million
6 SM-3 IB (guess) * $12.51 million = $75 million
2 SM-3 IIA (guess) * $28.7 million = $57.4 million
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120 SM-2 * $2.53 million = $303.6 million
80 SM-6 * $4.27 million = $341.6 million
12 ESSM (guess) = $17.88 million
6 SM-3 IB (guess) * $12.51 million = $75 million
2 SM-3 IIA (guess) * $28.7 million = $57.4 million
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So, we are looking at a cost of $808.99 million dollars in missiles alone to engage 400 houthi Drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.
The 160 5-inch rounds are in addition to that.
This adds up to 380 missiles and 5-inch shells versus 400 Houthi weapons.
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The 160 5-inch rounds are in addition to that.
This adds up to 380 missiles and 5-inch shells versus 400 Houthi weapons.
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Given the low cost of Iranian/Houthi one way attack (OWA) drones and cruise missiles.
It is likely the cost of the attacking munitions was less than $100 million.
This is a huge cost trade disadvantage for weapons that saturated USN defenses twice.
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It is likely the cost of the attacking munitions was less than $100 million.
This is a huge cost trade disadvantage for weapons that saturated USN defenses twice.
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Yes, while there were US Navy carriers - USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Harry Truman - around with planes shooting air to air munitions at Houthi OWA drones and cruise missiles to reduce the CG/DDG engagement work load.
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This saturated twice number is consistent with the reports of USS Gravely and USS Antietam both shooting down either a Houthi drone or missile in two separate Phalanx CIWS engagements during early Feb 2024 Houthi saturation attacks.
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So what does ~200 SM-2, SM-3 & SM-6 missiles represent in terms of loaded Burke class DDG equivalents?
Tyler Rogoway reports a single Arleigh Burke destroyer in the "Rota configuration" carries the following load out:
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Tyler Rogoway reports a single Arleigh Burke destroyer in the "Rota configuration" carries the following load out:
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11 SeaRAM,
32 ESSMs,
16 Tomahawks,
40 SM-2s,
12 SM-6,
eight SM-3s,
six Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine rocket (VLA), and
eight Harpoons,
costing around $420 million.
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32 ESSMs,
16 Tomahawks,
40 SM-2s,
12 SM-6,
eight SM-3s,
six Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine rocket (VLA), and
eight Harpoons,
costing around $420 million.
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At 60 SM-2, SM-3 & SM-6 per Burke Class DDG, the US Navy fired three and 1/3 fraction Burke class DDG air defense missile 'full loads' in the "low threat environment" of the Red Sea.
The US Navy lacks a fleet wide deployed capability to reload vertical launch cells.
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The US Navy lacks a fleet wide deployed capability to reload vertical launch cells.
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The Warzone reporter Geoff Ziezulewicz's Jan 17, 2025 article made clear those three shot out Burke DDG or Aegis cruisers had to run thousands of kilometers from the fight to get VLS reloads.
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That's because a single Transferrable Reload At-sea Method (TRAM) fixture on the Military Sealift Command dry cargo ship USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE 11) doesn't constitute a deployed fleet capability.
It is a prototype target that cannot do its job within Houthi...
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It is a prototype target that cannot do its job within Houthi...
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...cruise missile or OWA drone range of the Red Sea.
The undeclared 'Houthi Naval War' underlines the need to arm T-AKE stores ships as naval combatants with radars directing ESSM & SM-6 from vertical launchers for forward combat logistics,
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The undeclared 'Houthi Naval War' underlines the need to arm T-AKE stores ships as naval combatants with radars directing ESSM & SM-6 from vertical launchers for forward combat logistics,
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...AKA missile reloading within the 1st & 2nd island chains in the Pacific.
The problem is the US Navy is out of time, barring heroic emergency procurement of TRAM & self defense armament across the Military Sealift Command dry cargo ship fleet.
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The problem is the US Navy is out of time, barring heroic emergency procurement of TRAM & self defense armament across the Military Sealift Command dry cargo ship fleet.
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China is the biggest drone producer in the world.
The reality of the mass production of PLAN self propelled tank landing barges means the world is a year or so away from the PLAN having sufficient amphibious lift capability to successfully invade Taiwan.
13/13 End
The reality of the mass production of PLAN self propelled tank landing barges means the world is a year or so away from the PLAN having sufficient amphibious lift capability to successfully invade Taiwan.
13/13 End
@threadreaderapp unroll please
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