ManamaUSS Mustin pairs 30mm and .50-caliber guns.
The Navy says a gun round costs hundreds of dollars against a $2 million missile.
Destroyers cannot reload their missile cells at sea, so magazine depth favors guns over interceptors.
USS Mustin remains the Navy’s only ship fitted with the Mod 4 so far.
How each outlet framed it
- The War Zone
- focuses on Mk 38 Mod 4 upgrade: .50 cal machine gun atop 30mm chain gun vs. drones; USS Mustin first/sole Navy deployment
Sources: The War Zone