So this gives a total of 4 systems excluding ECM and chaff etc and a total of 9 missiles being potentially engaged at any one time with a mix of guns and missiles, quite a formidible defence especially as harpoon is a subsonic missile.
The subsonic vs supersonic debate has been around awhile, but one thing to remember. Modern subsonic missiles are much more stealthy, making them much more difficult to detect and track than their supersonic counterparts. Even at low altitude, many supersonic missiles give off such an incredible heat signature that modern tracking systems see them beyond the horizon. It is why the Russians have been adapting their missiles to be subsonic at launch and supersonic in the terminal phase.
The trade is the subsonic missile can get closer before it is detected to lower the engagement window, while the supersonic missile moves faster which reduces the time of the engagement window. Some of the new missiles try to capitalize on both of these advantages.
Mixing and matching defense can create its own problems though. Chaff, for example, might deflect an incoming missile but can create its own set of problems in defense, which is why it is considered a defense of last resort.
There are instances where an escort would shoot off Chaff and another ships point defense system would engage the Chaff, and other instances where Chaff disrupted the ability of a major asset to track incoming targets. The point about attack vectors was that a point defense system pointing one direction isn’t able to address multiple incoming missiles at different vectors without turning to engage each one individually, which takes time, and would result in saturation getting through the point defenses, not to mention making it difficult for illuniators on different vectors.
ECM would be important, no doubt, but may not overcome ECM defenses on modern weapons systems, and can be ineffective against certain types of guidance systems (like laser guided weapons for example).
Btw your right im relatively young , and im learning as much as I can , but im no profesional
Ya I caught on to that, no problem though, its just things don’t work the way you are sometimes describing because your expectations are way too high on the capabilities of many of these systems. The limitations are rarely discussed, so in these theoretical discussions what happens is people have the expectation that these systems work together without restrictions, and work as designed always without being effected by the many variables that can influence effectiveness. The restrictions matter though, as they are the weaknesses that are exploited in combat.
