I think Starstreak will be more successful in CIWS role than a purely IR or laser guided system , IR is not good for target that moving toward you special if they are something like glide bombs which have very little heat emission and honestly targeting fast moving targets by laser beam is a pain in the ***, using radio to guide the missiles is the best option as the range is just less than 10km and your target usually have no electronic warfare capabilities
Starstreak as a CIWS? I think the starstreak with a few adjustments could be an awesome system as an ATGM that would be capable of countering modern Active Protection Systems where the kinetic energy from 3 separate +Mach 3 time delayed projectile would be sufficient to disable an armored vehicle.
So as an ATGM or a MANPAD against Larger low flying Aircraft's, Helo's & larger UAV's within it's range on land yes but against incoming projectiles whether they be Glide bombs or Cruise missiles they would simply lack the accuracy and the blast radius needed to knock them off course note the 3 projectiles fired need a direct hit because they use kinetic energy
Now the problem with the starstreak as an add on to a CIWS is that any UAV's whos production costs is greater than the starsteak missile it's self is simply not going to get within 7km of an armed ship during combat and neither will fixed winged aircraft or Helo's simply because the pilots would really have to be stupid to get within a range where the ships cannon(s) could pose a major threat to them
For a CIWS I would prefer a missile that has half the range and 1/3 of the speed of the starstreak but has the accuracy and enough explosive power to either nock an incoming subsonic projectile off course or at the very least disrupt the projectiles sensor capability so the ship can move out of it's projected flight path and that also means you can't use lasers for course correction because your firing from a moving unstable ship trying to guide your missile to get a direct his on a small moving platform and using the starsrek from a fixed point on the ground is already hard enough
Plus all in all if I was Iran's Naval Commander for Iran's future my focus would be on the following
1.Production of larger warships & larger Subs at a faster pace
2.Aiding in the development of 3D printers
3.Developing a portable device that can convert sea water into Hydrogen and Oxygen out at sea and at an officiant rate to be used as fuel and developing liquid fueled rocket engines, jet engines, combustion engines,..... around that fuel source
4.Aiding in the development & mass production of very small and light quantum communication data link
5.Development of advanced Magnets and various type of engines that use them from electrical to none electrical that use magnets and compressed air or steam to assist in increasing power and reducing consumption....
6.Increasing the offensive capability of your naval fleet by increasing the variety of your offensive systems from swarm of smaller cruise missiles to a swarm of armed Quad or other armed UAV's preferably all 3D printed
7.Increasing stealth capability buy reducing it's radar, heat and optical signature
8.Increasing defensive capability using SAM, CIWS, Lasers, sensor capability countermeasures & Decoys.
Because the future of Naval warships will be Large warships and Subs (Maybe up to 50% 3D printed ships) that themselves carry multiple 3D printers onboard that are capable of printing a wide range of weapons and spare parts previously stored on the computers based on mission parameters where the ship it's self and many of the weapons are capable of using Hydrogen and Oxygen as a fuel source.
And these are the things they need to think about when building platforms meant to last another 2 decades at least
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