Since World War II, the conflict between air power and warships has only intensified. The advent of shipborne anti-ship missiles has made air defence crucial for the survivability of ships. Navies that could afford it produced dedicated warships designed solely to detect airborne threats from long distances and fire air defence missiles at these targets. These dedicated air defence ships are now integral parts of any task force, providing a protective umbrella for the mission-critical ships within the task force.

With the proliferation of ballistic missiles, the task of ballistic missile defence has also been added to the responsibilities of air defence ships. In this new area of warfare, these dedicated air defence ships are increasingly valuable in protecting valuable units against airborne threats and critical infrastructure or population centres against ballistic missiles.