The most stressing scenario for any fleet is not a single drone wave, but a combined-arms attack.
Iran’s doctrine emphasizes layered pressure: drones to saturate defenses, anti-ship ballistic missiles to force high-value interceptor launches, and fast attack craft armed with cruise missiles to exploit gaps. Such multi-vector ᴀssaults aim to create decision overload and timing conflicts.
Against ballistic threats like the Khalij Fars anti-ship missile, kinetic interceptors remain essential. Directed energy cannot replace every layer of defense. Standard Missiles would still be tasked with exo-atmospheric or high-alтιтude intercepts, preserving the carrier and its escorts from catastrophic impact.
