Constraints: Cruise missiles are expensive (around $2 million each) and reserved for strategic targets. Technicals are mobile and dispersed, making them less ideal targets unless concentrated in a staging area. Political fallout from striking Mexican soil would also be a plot point, risking international condemnation or retaliatory attacks on U.S. soil.
Anti-Drone Warfare:
Likelihood: Very high. In a fantasy setting, cartels could deploy swarms of cheap, modified commercial drones or military-grade UAVs (acquired via black markets or rogue state sponsors). These drones might target U.S. border facilities, civilian infrastructure, or even the destroyers themselves.
Weapons Used: Destroyers would employ SM-6 missiles for long-range drone interception, Phalanx CIWS for close-in defense, and electronic warfare (EW) suites to jam drone signals. Experimental laser systems (like the real-world HELIOS laser) could be introduced for a sci-fi flair, zapping drones out of the sky in dazzling visual sequences.
Cinematic Execution: A key scene shows a destroyer under siege by a drone swarm at dusk, with CIWS guns blazing and lasers slicing through the air. The ship’s AI detects a cartel mothership launching the drones from international waters, leading to a high-stakes naval chase. The destroyers’ EW capabilities disrupt the drones, causing them to crash into the sea, but not before one damages a destroyer’s radar, heightening tension.
Why Necessary: Drones are a cheap, asymmetric threat. Cartels could use them for reconnaissance, smuggling, or suicide attacks, making anti-drone warfare critical to protect U.S. assets and assert dominance.
Shore Bombardment and Anti-Ship Operations:
Likelihood: Moderate. The 5-inch guns could shell coastal cartel strongholds or smuggling ports, but this risks collateral damage and escalation. If cartels acquire anti-ship missiles (e.g., Chinese C-802s via black markets), destroyers might engage cartel vessels or fast boats with Harpoon missiles or their own guns.
Cinematic Execution: A cartel flotilla of armed speedboats attempts to overrun a U.S. Coast Guard cutter near the Gulf. The destroyers intervene, their guns roaring as they sink the boats in a fiery spectacle. Later, a cartel anti-ship missile narrowly misses a destroyer, prompting a retaliatory strike on a hidden cartel dock.
Cyberwarfare and Intelligence:
Likelihood: High, especially in a fantasy setting. Destroyers could deploy advanced cyber suites to hack cartel communications, disrupt their drone networks, or track smuggling routes. SIGINT (signals intelligence) would monitor cartel movements and potential U.S. militia collusion.
Cinematic Execution: A tech-savvy destroyer crew uncovers a cartel plot to smuggle a dirty bomb into New Orleans. Using cyberwarfare, they disable the cartel’s encrypted network, but a rogue U.S. militia hacks the destroyer’s systems, creating a thrilling cyber-battle subplot.
Why Four Destroyers?
Deploying four destroyers is a significant commitment, signaling both strategic intent and the complexity of the threat. Here’s why this number makes sense in the script:

Force Redundancy and Coverage:
The Gulf of Mexico is vast, and four destroyers allow for a wider operational footprint. One might patrol near the Texas-Mexico border, another near Louisiana, a third in international waters to monitor cartel maritime activity, and the fourth as a reserve or command hub. This ensures overlapping missile defense, anti-drone, and strike capabilities.
Cinematic Rationale: Four ships create a sense of a naval task force, amplifying the stakes. Each destroyer could have a distinct role or personality (e.g., one led by a grizzled captain, another with a cutting-edge AI system), adding character-driven drama.