On the occasion of the conference of naval engineers, Vice-Admiral Thomas Moore, in charge of naval systems command, gave some indications that the axes retained by the US Navy for the years and future to come, in terms of missiles, like vertical launch silos. Firstly, he insisted on the need to increase the size of these silos, so as to be able to embark the future hypersonic missiles that the US Navy is impatiently awaiting, in order to be able to face Russian and Chinese systems. However, these missiles will most likely be too large to be satisfied with a Mk41 launcher, designed to receive missiles the size of the BGM-109 Tomahawk, the SM2 missile or the ASROC rocket. According to Admiral Moore, the increase in the size of these silos will be accompanied by the systematization of missile packs by silos, quad-pack or octo-pack, when the silo will not receive the hypersonic missile.
This will also lead to an increase in the size of buildings, he said. The US Navy has launched a study of the program to replace Ticonderoga-class cruisers, such as the first generation Arleigh Burkes destroyers. This building will, in all probability, be more imposing than its predecessors, so as to be able to carry a sufficient number of missiles of all types, so as to be able to saturate the opposing defenses, while being able to resist a massive attack. A subject that we have already addressed here, in the article “ Should we build cruisers again for the French Navy?"
France has developed its own vertical launch system, the Sylver system, whose cell dimensions are substantially comparable to those of the American standard Mk41, with 60 cm cells. The same causes leading to the same consequences, it is possible that the need for a new Sylver standard will also impose itself on the French system.