The Red Sea's chaos is challenging the U.S. Navy.

In the Red Sea, the U.S. Navy is facing a persistent danger from the Iran-supported Houthi rebels, who have repeatedly targeted vessels with low-cost precision weapons, including attacks on U.S. warships.

The Red Sea demonstrates that we never know where the maritime threat might arise, and we must ensure we have enough force structure to meet it, said Bradley Martin, a senior policy researcher at Rand, in an interview with CNBC. The Navy has invested heavily in anti-air technology, including the Aegis combat system, but the most effective missiles are also the most expensive and difficult to produce.

According to Steve Wills, a Navalist at the Center for Maritime Strategy, the destroyers are performing their intended role of providing proficiency and integrated air and missile defense. However, when examining the cost-benefit analysis over time, these options become expensive. It is estimated that a Standard Missile, which costs around $2 million, can shoot down a drone that costs only $20,000.

The data obtained from the U.S.'s encounters with armed drones, cruise missiles, anti-ship ballistic missiles, and other weapon systems in the Red Sea could be extremely useful in the Indo-Pacific region.

The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force of China poses a significant threat to U.S. forces in the Pacific. With the potential to field thousands of missiles, China's rocket troops can reach across vast areas of the Pacific. This means that the U.S. could face overwhelming odds in intercepting any mass missile attack against American ships and bases. To defend against such an attack, the Navy could focus on hiding the movement of U.S. forces and misdirecting or blinding any reconnaissance systems.

The PLA rocket force is as scary as it is in terms of weapon systems, but the units themselves cannot find targets, according to Tom Shugart, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. He stated that they are simply missiles on trucks and something must locate the targets for them. With the U.S. Navy becoming increasingly stretched thin due to conflict in the Middle East and China's military buildup, protecting commerce remains a top priority for America's naval power.

As per Brad Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the United States is a maritime power because it is a trading power. The country's prosperity and security are dependent on the free flow of commerce, including maritime commerce.

Can the U.S. Navy maintain its ability to counter missile threats from Iran and China?