Multi-Threat Environment:
The destroyers face threats from cartels (drones, technicals, fast boats), potential U.S. militias (if immigration opponents turn violent), and possibly foreign actors (e.g., a rogue state supplying cartels). Four ships provide the firepower and sensors to handle simultaneous air, sea, and cyber threats.
Cinematic Rationale: A four-ship formation allows for dynamic battle scenes—e.g., two destroyers fend off a drone swarm while the others launch a missile strike. The script could depict a coordinated defense against a cartel “blitz” involving drones, boats, and hacked U.S. infrastructure.
Show of Force and Deterrence:
Four destroyers send a clear message to cartels, U.S. dissidents, and foreign powers: the U.S. is prepared to escalate. This aligns with the social unrest in Los Angeles, where the government seeks to project strength amid domestic chaos.
Cinematic Rationale: The destroyers’ arrival in the Gulf could be a pivotal scene, with news reports in L.A. showing their silhouettes against a stormy sky, sparking debates among characters about war, sovereignty, and morality.
Plot-Driven Vulnerability:
In a fantasy script, four destroyers might still be stretched thin if the cartels unleash an unexpected weapon (e.g., a stolen submarine or a bioengineered sea monster for a fantastical twist). This creates tension, as the Navy underestimated the enemy’s capabilities.
Cinematic Rationale: A subplot could involve one destroyer being disabled (by a cyberattack or sabotage), forcing the others to compensate. This raises the stakes and humanizes the crew, who must overcome internal divisions to succeed.
Strategic and Cinematic Considerations
Why Cruise Missiles for Technicals?: Cruise missiles would only target technicals if they’re massed in a critical location (e.g., a border staging area). Otherwise, drones or special forces would be more cost-effective. In the script, a missile strike on technicals could be a dramatic opening salvo, but it might provoke cartel retaliation against U.S. cities, driving the plot forward.
Why Anti-Drone Focus?: Drones are a realistic and visually compelling threat. They allow for spectacular action sequences (swarms vs. lasers) and highlight the cartels’ evolution into a high-tech foe, a key theme in a fantasy war.
Why Four Ships?: Beyond logistics, four destroyers symbolize the U.S.’s resolve but also its overreach. The script could explore how this deployment strains Navy resources, leaving other coasts vulnerable or escalating the conflict unnecessarily.

Conclusion
The four destroyers would primarily use cruise missiles for strategic strikes, anti-drone systems (missiles, CIWS, lasers, EW) to counter cartel UAVs, and cyberwarfare to disrupt enemy networks. Their presence reflects a multi-threat environment—cartels, militias, and potential foreign meddling—while providing cinematic opportunities for action, moral dilemmas, and technological spectacle. Four ships ensure redundancy, deterrence, and narrative flexibility, allowing the script to explore both their power and their vulnerabilities in a fractured, fantastical USA.