Cannons.

This is coolbert:

Within context of a previous blog entry consider this item courtesy American Military News the article by RYAN MORGAN.

"Army and Navy cannons shoot down drone ‘cruise missiles’ – here’s a video of the cannons"

"A U.S. Army M109 Paladin-based 155mm howitzer and a U.S. Navy deck gun fired Hypervelocity Projectiles (HVP), successfully downing BQM-167 target drones acting as stand-ins for cruise missiles, demonstrating the ability of the Mach-5 capable guided artillery shells to take out cruise missiles."

"According to a fact sheet by developer Kratos Defense Inc. BQM-167 target drone is capable of reaching speeds of around .91 Mach, or about 700 mph. Subsonic cruise missiles can typically reach speeds of between 500 and 700 mph, making the target drone a capable stand-in."

A. NOT ONLY U.S. ARMY ABLE TO SHOOT DOWN AN INCOMING CRUISE MISSILE WITH THE PALLADIN CANNON. NAVAL GUN TESTED AT THE SAME TIME ALSO WITH IDENTICAL RESULTS.

B. Kratos BQM-167 the target drone. Considered for the purpose of the test "a capable stand-in".

Further to the cost of engaging an enemy cruise missile using conventional existing anti-cruise missile weaponry such as Patriot and THAAD:

"Firing those missiles, however, can come at a cost of about $5 million per Patriot missile and about $12 million per THAAD missile . . . By contrast, the HVP shells could come at an estimated cost of about $86,000 per shell, driving down the cost for weapons capable of destroying incoming missiles."

What did I tell you? An artillery round far cheaper than a missile.

coolbert.