William Black wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...

The situation is analogous to that posed by the first Russian anti-ship
missile, the Styx. It was around for years and no-one took much notice
until one sank an Israeli destroyer in 1967 - then the USN woke up to
the need for a short-range defence system, and Phalanx was the eventual
answer.

The Israeli navy was dealing with Styx quite well without Phalanx in 1973.

Yes, because they learned the hard way that they had to do something
about it (and losing a destroyer is a very hard way...). Phalanx was
simply the last-ditch element of a layered defence system which the USN
thought it prudent to add as a result of the Israeli experience.

The point of my analogy was simply that new threats tend not to be
taken very seriously until somebody gets hurt by them - then there is a
reaction.

Tony Williams
Military gun and ammunition website: http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk