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Description
A destroyer of the Akurian military.

Destroyers are fast warships armed almost entirely with missiles. They typically have very few guns and no large DEWs. Typically a destroyer will carry mostly anti ship missiles and less long range defense missiles.

In theory a destroyer mostly equipped with defensive missiles makes an excellent anti small craft ship. But the light protection systems of most small ships, including destroyers makes them vulnerable to a strike craft carried long range anti ship missile. As such strike craft would not need to expose themselves to the destroyers long range missiles for very long. Compounding this problem is the fact that with so few guns, destroyers are not very good at missile defense themselves. However if a destroyer is accompanying a more heavily protected ship, such as the larger cruisers, battlecruisers or battleships, then they become much more useful in the defensive role, as strike craft need more powerful but shorter ranged weapons to deal with them. But a good strike craft commander will try and eliminate lightly protected escorts first before attempting to take on the more heavily protected ships. So these ships are rarely used in the escort role, usually only being used to escort cruisers or carriers that are too fast for fleet escorts.

With this consideration, destroyers are considered to be more optimal in the offensive role, quickly getting into a firing position, dumping massed volleys of anti ship missiles at key targets, then running away. They are not meant to get into mid range or close range slugfights, especially if larger ships are involved, as their missiles lack the penetration to deal with heavily armored warships.

Of the ship types in its tonnage range, destroyers are often the most expensive, due to the need to carry a long range fire control sensor array. Anti ship missiles themselves are also more costly than gun rounds, as such the procurement and operating costs of a destroyer is anywhere from 25 to 75% greater than a similar tonnage fleet escort. But their high speed and the ability to carry more missiles than many cruisers is very useful to the fleet.

Description
A destroyer of the Akurian military.

Destroyers are fast warships armed almost entirely with missiles. They typically have very few guns and no large DEWs. Typically a destroyer will carry mostly anti ship missiles and less long range defense missiles.

In theory a destroyer mostly equipped with defensive missiles makes an excellent anti small craft ship. But the light protection systems of most small ships, including destroyers makes them vulnerable to a strike craft carried long range anti ship missile. As such strike craft would not need to expose themselves to the destroyers long range missiles for very long. Compounding this problem is the fact that with so few guns, destroyers are not very good at missile defense themselves. However if a destroyer is accompanying a more heavily protected ship, such as the larger cruisers, battlecruisers or battleships, then they become much more useful in the defensive role, as strike craft need more powerful but shorter ranged weapons to deal with them. But a good strike craft commander will try and eliminate lightly protected escorts first before attempting to take on the more heavily protected ships. So these ships are rarely used in the escort role, usually only being used to escort cruisers or carriers that are too fast for fleet escorts.

With this consideration, destroyers are considered to be more optimal in the offensive role, quickly getting into a firing position, dumping massed volleys of anti ship missiles at key targets, then running away. They are not meant to get into mid range or close range slugfights, especially if larger ships are involved, as their missiles lack the penetration to deal with heavily armored warships.

Of the ship types in its tonnage range, destroyers are often the most expensive, due to the need to carry a long range fire control sensor array. Anti ship missiles themselves are also more costly than gun rounds, as such the procurement and operating costs of a destroyer is anywhere from 25 to 75% greater than a similar tonnage fleet escort. But their high speed and the ability to carry more missiles than many cruisers is very useful to the fleet.