even /if/ one or both of these rockets had hit their targets they wouldn't have had much of an impact. Both of these ships are much bigger than the USS Cole was... the Ashland is about twice the displacement, the Kearsarge is about 5 times the displacement. Both of these are rather large boats and the "terrorists" missing them brings forth the image of not being able to hit the broadside of a barn The Kearsarge is almost the size of a Kitty Hawk class aircraft carrier...

Yeah the ships we build now-a-days aren't nearly as heavily armored as the ships of yesteryear but they can still take a beating. Besides they don't need the armor that the old tubs needed.