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The old launchers point the missile at the on coming target.
If shot from a VLS launcher the missile has to climb to altitude , turn and look for the guidance signal from the ships radar, then follow the beam till its own radar guides it in for a kill.
Time is money
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Also the Mk 29 launcher can be reloaded while underway
The Chinese use knockoffs of RAM and SeaRam
It doesn't take long for an ESSM in a quad pack Mk-41 VLS to gain altitude and using thrust vectoring head to the incoming target. Is it as fast as the Mk 29, no but you also don't have to slew the launcher to the direction of the target either.
ESSM launched from the USS Momsen DDG-92 from the forward Mk 41 VLS.
True on both points. But The missiles on Ford are last ditch self defense. For when something gets through the DDG/CG screen.
So that extra time going from vertical might be the difference between engagement or a hit. I would assume that the Ford would be tracking so the Mk29 would already be pointed in/near the right direction.
Why are the RAM/CIWS mounted below the flight deck? My SWAG is that they are there to cover skimmers in the blind spot in the ships radar when things get super close
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