Phalanx CIWS
Encyclopedia
The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile
defense system. It is a close-in weapon system
(CIWS) and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division
(now a part of Raytheon
). Consisting of a radar-guided 20mm Gatling gun mounted on a swivelling base, the Phalanx is used by the United States Navy
on every class of surface combat ship, by the United States Coast Guard
aboard its and Legend
class cutters
and the navies of 23 allied nations.
A land based variant known as C-RAM
has recently been deployed in a short range missile defense role, to counter incoming rocket
s and artillery
fire.
Because of their distinctive barrel-shaped radome
and their automated nature of operation, Phalanx CIWS units are sometimes nicknamed "R2-D2
" after the famous droid from Star Wars
, and in the Royal Navy
as Dalek
s, after the aliens from Doctor Who
.
M61 Vulcan
Gatling gun
autocannon
, used since the 1960s by the United States military in nearly all fighter aircraft (and one land mounting, the M163 VADS
), linked to a Ku-band radar
system for acquiring and tracking targets. This proven system was combined with a purpose-made mounting, capable of fast elevation and traverse speeds, to track incoming targets. An entirely self-contained unit, the mounting houses the gun, an automated fire control system
and all other major components, enabling it to automatically search for, detect, track, engage and confirm kills using its computer-controlled radar system. Due to this self-contained nature, Phalanx is ideal for support ships which lack integrated targeting systems and generally have limited sensors. The entire unit has a mass between 5,500 and 6,100 kg (12,400 to 13,500 lb).
(FLIR) sensor to allow the weapon to be used against surface targets. This addition was developed to provide ship defense against small vessel threats and other "floaters" in littoral waters and to improve the weapon's performance against slower low-flying aircraft. The FLIR's capability is also of use against low-observability missiles and can be linked with the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile
(RAM) system to increase RAM engagement range and accuracy. The Block 1B also allows for an operator to visually identify and target threats.
The U.S. is in the process of upgrading all their Phalanx systems to the Block 1B configuration. The Block 1B is also used by other navies such as Canada
, Portugal
, Japan
, Egypt
, Bahrain
and the UK
.
In May 2009 the US Navy awarded a $260 million contract to Raytheon Missile Systems
to perform upgrades and other work on the Phalanx. The work is to be completed by September 2012.
AC
at 60 Hz
and water for electronics cooling. For full operation including some non-essential functions, it also has inputs for true compass ship's heading and 115 V AC for the PASS and tape drive subsystems.
The Block 0 CIWS mounts (hydraulic driven) fired at a rate of 3,000 rounds per minute and they could only hold 989 rounds in the magazine drum. The Block 1 CIWS mounts (hydraulic) also fired at 3,000 rounds per minute with an extended magazine drum holding 1,550 rounds. The Block 1A and newer (pneumatic driven) CIWS mounts fire at a rate of 4,500 rounds per minute and also had the larger 1,550 round magazine. The velocity of the rounds once fired is approximately 3600 feet per second (1,097.3 m/s). The rounds are armor-piercing
tungsten
penetrator rounds or depleted uranium with discarding sabot
s. The kinetic projectiles are designed to pierce and explode an incoming missile's warhead. The ammunition handling system has two conveyor belt systems. The first takes the rounds out of the magazine drum and to the gun; the second takes either the empty shells or non-fired rounds and routes them back to the opposite end of the drum.
, also known as IFF. The CIWS has only the data it collects in real time from the radars to decide if the target is a threat and to engage it. A contact has to meet multiple criteria for it to be considered a target. Some of the criteria are listed below.
There are many other subsystems which together ensure proper operation, such as environmental control, transmitter, mount movement control, power control and distribution and so on. It takes 6 to 8 months to train a technician to maintain, operate, and repair the CIWS.
was conducting a live fire exercise off the east coast of the United States using the Phalanx against a target drone. Although the drone was successfully engaged at close range, the target debris bounced off the sea surface and struck the ship, causing significant damage and fire from the drone's residual fuel which killed a civilian instructor.
On February 25, 1991, during the first Gulf War
, the Phalanx-equipped was a few miles from the and the destroyer . The ships were attacked by an Iraq
i Silkworm missile
(often referred to as the Seersucker), at which time the Missouri fired its SRBOC
chaff
. The Phalanx system on Jarrett, operating in the automatic target-acquisition mode, fixed upon Missouri's chaff, releasing a burst of rounds. From this burst, four rounds hit Missouri which was two to three miles (about 5 km) from Jarrett at the time. There were no injuries. A Sea Dart missile
was then launched from HMS Gloucester
in a 'tail end' engagement; destroying the Iraqi missile as it passed between Gloucester and the , achieving the first successful engagement of a missile by a missile during combat at sea.
that was towing a radar target during gunnery exercises. A Phalanx aboard the Asagiri class destroyer
Yūgiri locked onto the Intruder instead of the target. Both pilots ejected safely. A post-accident investigation concluded that the Yūgiri's gunnery officer gave the order to fire before the A-6 was out of the CIWS engagement envelope.
Seeking a solution to constant rocket and mortar attacks on bases in Iraq, the United States Army
requested a quick-to-field anti-projectile system in May 2004, as part of its Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Mortar
initiative. The end result of this program was 'Centurion'. For all intents and purposes a terrestrial version of the Navy's CIWS, the Centurion was rapidly developed, with a proof of concept test in November that same year. It began deployment to Iraq in 2005, where it was set up to protect forward operating bases and other high-value sites in and around the capital, Baghdad
. Israel has purchased a single system for testing purposes, and is reported to be considering buying the system to counter rocket attacks and defend point military installations. Investments made in their own indigenous air defence system, Iron Dome
, has provided competition to Centurion.
Each system uses consisted of a modified Phalanx 1B CIWS, powered by an attached generator and mounted on a trailer for mobility. Armed with a 20 mm
M61A1 Gatling gun the unit is capable of firing 1,500 or 2,000 M246 or M940 rounds per minute. In 2008 there were more than twenty CIWS systems protecting bases in the U.S. Central Command area of operations. A Raytheon spokesman told Navy Times
that 105 attacks were defeated by the systems, most of those involved mortars. Based on the success of Centurion, 23 additional systems were ordered in September 2008.
Like the naval (1B) version, Centurion uses Ku-band radar and FLIR to detect and track incoming projectiles, and is also capable of engaging surface targets, with the system able to reach a -25 degree elevation. The Centurion is reportedly capable of defending a 1.2 km square area. One major difference between the land and sea based variants is the choice of ammunition. Whereas naval Phalanx systems fire tungsten armor-piercing rounds, the C-RAM uses the M246 or M940 HEIT-SD (High-Explosive Incendiary
Tracer
, Self-Destruct) ammunition, originally developed for the M163 Vulcan Air Defense System
. These rounds explode on impact with the target, or upon tracer burnout, thereby greatly reducing the risk of collateral damage, should any rounds fail to hit their target.
, and based on the mounting and targeting systems of the Phalanx, SeaRAM was developed in response to concerns about the performance of gun-based systems against modern, super-sonic sea-skimming anti-ship missiles. Designed as a companion self-defense system to Phalanx, the SeaRAM is equipped with an 11 cell RAM launcher, and provides defense at a longer range. Due to the common mounting, SeaRAM inherits the relatively easy installation characteristics of its gun-based sibling, with Raytheon stating that "[SeaRAM] fits the exact
shipboard installation footprint of the Phalanx, uses the same power and requires minimal shipboard modification". Currently in the trial stages, SeaRAM is fitted to the Independence Class
Littoral Combat Ship
.
Anti-ship missile
Anti-ship missiles are guided missiles that are designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea-skimming type, many use a combination of inertial guidance and radar homing...
defense system. It is a close-in weapon system
Close-in weapon system
A close-in weapon system , often pronounced sea-whiz, is a naval shipboard point-defense weapon for detecting and destroying at short range incoming anti-ship missiles and enemy aircraft which have penetrated the outer defenses....
(CIWS) and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
(now a part of Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
). Consisting of a radar-guided 20mm Gatling gun mounted on a swivelling base, the Phalanx is used by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
on every class of surface combat ship, by the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
aboard its and Legend
National Security Cutter
The United States Coast Guard National Security Cutter , also known as the Legend class and Maritime Security Cutter, Large, is one design among several new cutter designs developed as part of the Integrated Deepwater System Program....
class cutters
United States Coast Guard Cutter
Cutter is the term used by the United States Coast Guard for its commissioned vessels. A Cutter is or greater in length, has a permanently assigned crew, and has accommodations for the crew to live aboard...
and the navies of 23 allied nations.
A land based variant known as C-RAM
Counter-RAM
Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar, abbreviated C-RAM or Counter-RAM, is a system used to detect and/or destroyincoming artillery, rockets and mortar rounds in the air before they hit their ground targets, or simply provide early warning....
has recently been deployed in a short range missile defense role, to counter incoming rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
s and artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
fire.
Because of their distinctive barrel-shaped radome
Radome
A radome is a structural, weatherproof enclosure that protects a microwave or radar antenna. The radome is constructed of material that minimally attenuates the electromagnetic signal transmitted or received by the antenna. In other words, the radome is transparent to radar or radio waves...
and their automated nature of operation, Phalanx CIWS units are sometimes nicknamed "R2-D2
R2-D2
R2-D2 , is a character in the Star Wars universe. An astromech droid, R2-D2 is a major character throughout all six Star Wars films. Along with his droid companion C-3PO, he joins or supports Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Obi-Wan Kenobi in various points in the saga...
" after the famous droid from Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, and in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
s, after the aliens from Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
.
History
The Phalanx Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) was developed as the last line of automated weapons defense (terminal defense or point defense) against anti-ship missiles (AShMs), including high-g and maneuvering sea-skimmers. The first prototype system was offered to the U.S. Navy for evaluation on USS King DLG-10 in 1973 and it was determined that additional improvements were required to improve performance and reliability. Subsequently, the Phalanx Operational Suitability Model (OSM ) successfully completed Operational Test and Evaluation (OPEVAL) onboard USS Bigelow DD-942 in 1977. OSM exceeded operational maintenance, reliability, and availability specifications. DSARC-III followed OPEVAL which was followed by approval for production in 1978. Phalanx production started with orders for 23 USN and 14 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) systems. The first ship fully fitted out was the USS America CV-66 in 1980. The Navy began placing CIWS systems on non-combatant vessels in 1984.Design
The basis of the system is the 20 mm20 mm caliber
The 20 mm caliber is a specific size of cannon or autocannon ammunition, commonly the smallest caliber which is unambiguously a cannon and not a heavy machine gun....
M61 Vulcan
M61 Vulcan
The M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon which fires 20 mm rounds at an extremely high rate. The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft...
Gatling gun
Gatling gun
The Gatling gun is one of the best known early rapid-fire weapons and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is well known for its use by the Union forces during the American Civil War in the 1860s, which was the first time it was employed in combat...
autocannon
Autocannon
An autocannon or automatic cannon is a rapid-fire projectile weapon firing a shell as opposed to the bullet fired by a machine gun. Autocannons often have a larger caliber than a machine gun . Usually, autocannons are smaller than a field gun or other artillery, and are mechanically loaded for a...
, used since the 1960s by the United States military in nearly all fighter aircraft (and one land mounting, the M163 VADS
M163 VADS
The M163 Vulcan Air Defense System is a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun that was used by the United States Army. The M168 gun is a variant of the General Dynamics 20 mm M61 Vulcan rotary cannon, the standard cannon in most US combat aircraft since the 1960s, mounted on either an armored...
), linked to a Ku-band radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
system for acquiring and tracking targets. This proven system was combined with a purpose-made mounting, capable of fast elevation and traverse speeds, to track incoming targets. An entirely self-contained unit, the mounting houses the gun, an automated fire control system
Fire-control system
A fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...
and all other major components, enabling it to automatically search for, detect, track, engage and confirm kills using its computer-controlled radar system. Due to this self-contained nature, Phalanx is ideal for support ships which lack integrated targeting systems and generally have limited sensors. The entire unit has a mass between 5,500 and 6,100 kg (12,400 to 13,500 lb).
Comparison with Modern CIWS
 AK-630AK-630 The AK-630 is a Soviet fully automatic naval close-in weapon system based on a six-barreled 30 mm Gatling gun. It is mounted in an enclosed automatic turret and directed by radar and television detection and tracking. The system's primary purpose is defense against anti-ship missiles and other... |
 Phalanx CIWS |
 Goalkeeper CIWSGoalkeeper CIWS Goalkeeper is a Dutch close-in weapon system introduced in 1979 and in use , which primarily defends ships against incoming missiles and ballistic shells. This system consists of an autocannon and an advanced radar which in typically six seconds detects incoming fire, determines its trajectory,... |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 9114 kg (20,092.9 lb) | 6200 kg (13,668.7 lb) | 9902 kg (21,830.2 lb) |
| Armament | 30 mm (1.2 in) 6 barreled GSh-6-30 Gatling Gun | 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) 6 barreled M61A1 Vulcan Gatling Machine Gun | 30 mm (1.2 in) 7 barreled GAU-8 Gatling Gun |
| Rate of Fire | 5000 rounds per minute | 4500 rounds per minute | 4200 rounds per minute |
| Range | 4000 m (13,123.4 ft) | 2000 m (6,561.7 ft) | 2000 m (6,561.7 ft) |
| Ammunition stowage | 2000 rounds | 1550 rounds | 1190 rounds |
| Muzzle velocity | 900 m (2,952.8 ft) per second | 1100 m (3,608.9 ft) per second | 1109 m (3,638.5 ft) per second |
| Elevation | -12 to +88 degrees | -25 to +85 degrees | -25 to +85 degrees |
| Traverse | 360 degrees | -150 to +150 degrees | 360 degrees |
Upgrades
Due to the continuing evolution of both threats and computer technology, the Phalanx system has, like most military systems, been developed through a number of different configurations. The basic (original) style is the Block 0, equipped with first generation solid state electronics and with marginal capability against surface targets. The Block 1 (1988) upgrade offered various improvements in radar, ammunition, rate of fire, increasing engagement elevation to +70 degrees, and computing. These improvements were intended to increase the system's capability against emerging Russian supersonic anti-ship missiles. Block 1A introduced a new computer system to counter more maneuverable targets. The Block 1B PSuM (Phalanx Surface Mode, 1999) adds a forward looking infraredForward looking infrared
Forward looking infrared cameras, typically used on military aircraft, use an imaging technology that senses infrared radiation.The sensors installed in forward looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other thermal imaging cameras, use detection of infrared radiation, typically emitted from a...
(FLIR) sensor to allow the weapon to be used against surface targets. This addition was developed to provide ship defense against small vessel threats and other "floaters" in littoral waters and to improve the weapon's performance against slower low-flying aircraft. The FLIR's capability is also of use against low-observability missiles and can be linked with the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile
RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile
The RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile is a small, lightweight, infrared homing surface-to-air missile in use by the American, German, South Korean, Greek, Turkish, Saudi and Egyptian navies. It was intended originally and used primarily as a point-defense weapon against anti-ship cruise missiles...
(RAM) system to increase RAM engagement range and accuracy. The Block 1B also allows for an operator to visually identify and target threats.
The U.S. is in the process of upgrading all their Phalanx systems to the Block 1B configuration. The Block 1B is also used by other navies such as Canada
Canadian Forces Maritime Command
The Royal Canadian Navy , is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Forces. Operating 33 warships and several auxiliary vessels, the Royal Canadian Navy consists of 8,500 Regular Force and 5,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by...
, Portugal
Vasco da Gama class frigate
The Vasco da Gama class is a class of frigates of the Portuguese Navy. Named in honor of the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, the ships are based on the German MEKO 200 design, and are Portugal's major surface ships...
, Japan
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
, Egypt
Military of Egypt
The Egyptian Armed Forces are the largest in Africa, and the Arab World, and is the tenth largest in the world, consisting of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy, Egyptian Air Force and Egyptian Air Defense Command....
, Bahrain
Military of Bahrain
The Military of Bahrain was under Bahrain's Ministry of Defence but now an independent entity and not part of the government and is simply Bahrain Defence Force under a field marshal who is the commander-in-chief...
and the UK
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
.
In May 2009 the US Navy awarded a $260 million contract to Raytheon Missile Systems
Raytheon Missile Systems
Raytheon Missile Systems Company is a subsidiary of Raytheon Company. Headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, its president is Taylor W. Lawrence. Formerly, known as Hughes Missile Systems Company before being acquired by Raytheon Company....
to perform upgrades and other work on the Phalanx. The work is to be completed by September 2012.
Operation
The CIWS is designed to be the last line of defense against anti-ship missiles. Due to its design criteria its effective range is very short relative to the range of modern ASMs, from 1 to 5 nautical miles (9 km). The gun mount moves at a very high speed and with great precision. The system takes minimal inputs from the ship, making it capable of functioning despite potential damage to the ship. The only inputs required for operation are 440 VVolt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
at 60 Hz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
and water for electronics cooling. For full operation including some non-essential functions, it also has inputs for true compass ship's heading and 115 V AC for the PASS and tape drive subsystems.
Radar subsystems
The CIWS has two antennas that work together to engage targets. The first antenna, for searching, is located inside the radome on the weapon control group (top of the white-painted portion). The search subsystem provides bearing, range, velocity, heading, and altitude information of potential targets to the CIWS computer. This information is analyzed to determine whether the detected object should be engaged by the CIWS system. Once the computer identifies a valid target (see details below), the mount moves to face the target and then hands the target over to the track antenna. The track antenna is extremely precise, but views a much smaller area. The tracking subsystem observes the target until the computer determines that the probability of a successful hit is maximized and then, depending on the operator conditions, the system will either fire automatically or will recommend fire to the operator. While firing, the system tracks outgoing rounds and 'walks' them onto the target.Gun and ammunition handling system
Armor-piercing shot and shell
An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
tungsten
Tungsten
Tungsten , also known as wolfram , is a chemical element with the chemical symbol W and atomic number 74.A hard, rare metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only in chemical compounds. It was identified as a new element in 1781, and first isolated as...
penetrator rounds or depleted uranium with discarding sabot
Sabot
A sabot is a device used in a firearm or cannon to fire a projectile, such as a bullet, that is smaller than the bore diameter, or which must be held in a precise position. The term is also applied to a battery stub case, a device used similarly to make a small electrical battery usable in a...
s. The kinetic projectiles are designed to pierce and explode an incoming missile's warhead. The ammunition handling system has two conveyor belt systems. The first takes the rounds out of the magazine drum and to the gun; the second takes either the empty shells or non-fired rounds and routes them back to the opposite end of the drum.
CIWS contact target identification
The CIWS does not recognize identification friend or foeIdentification friend or foe
In telecommunications, identification, friend or foe is an identification system designed for command and control. It is a system that enables military and national interrogation systems to identify aircraft, vehicles, or forces as friendly and to determine their bearing and range from the...
, also known as IFF. The CIWS has only the data it collects in real time from the radars to decide if the target is a threat and to engage it. A contact has to meet multiple criteria for it to be considered a target. Some of the criteria are listed below.
- Is the range of the target increasing or decreasing in relation to the ship? The CIWS search radar will see contacts that are out-bound and discard them. The CIWS will only engage a target if it is approaching the ship.
- Is the contact capable of maneuvering to hit the ship? If a contact is not heading directly at the ship, the CIWS looks at its heading in relation to the ship and its velocity. It then decides if the contact can still perform a maneuver to hit the ship.
- Is the contact traveling between the minimum and maximum velocities? The CIWS has the ability to engage targets that travel in a wide range of speeds, however it is not an infinitely wide range. The system has a target maximum velocity limit. If a target exceeds this velocity, the CIWS will not engage it. It also has a minimum target velocity limit. Any contact below that velocity will not be engaged by the CIWS. The operator also has the option to adjust the minimum and maximum limits within the limits of the system.
There are many other subsystems which together ensure proper operation, such as environmental control, transmitter, mount movement control, power control and distribution and so on. It takes 6 to 8 months to train a technician to maintain, operate, and repair the CIWS.
Drone exercise accident
On February 10, 1983, USS Antrim (FFG-20)USS Antrim (FFG-20)
USS Antrim was the twelfth ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile frigates. She was named for Rear Admiral Richard Nott Antrim...
was conducting a live fire exercise off the east coast of the United States using the Phalanx against a target drone. Although the drone was successfully engaged at close range, the target debris bounced off the sea surface and struck the ship, causing significant damage and fire from the drone's residual fuel which killed a civilian instructor.
Iraqi missile attack in Gulf War I
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, the Phalanx-equipped was a few miles from the and the destroyer . The ships were attacked by an Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i Silkworm missile
Silkworm missile
The Shang Yo or SY-series , and the Hai Ying or HY-series were early Chinese anti-ship missiles. They were derived from the Soviet P-15 Termit missile.The HY-1 and HY-2 received the NATO reporting name Silkworm...
(often referred to as the Seersucker), at which time the Missouri fired its SRBOC
Mark 36 SRBOC
The BAE Systems Mark 36 Super Rapid Blooming Offboard Chaff is a short-range mortar that launches chaff or infrared decoys from naval vessels to foil anti-ship missiles...
chaff
Chaff (radar countermeasure)
Chaff, originally called Window by the British, and Düppel by the Second World War era German Luftwaffe , is a radar countermeasure in which aircraft or other targets spread a cloud of small, thin pieces of aluminium, metallized glass fibre or plastic, which either appears as a cluster of secondary...
. The Phalanx system on Jarrett, operating in the automatic target-acquisition mode, fixed upon Missouri's chaff, releasing a burst of rounds. From this burst, four rounds hit Missouri which was two to three miles (about 5 km) from Jarrett at the time. There were no injuries. A Sea Dart missile
Sea Dart missile
Sea Dart or Guided Weapon System 30 is a British surface-to-air missile system designed by Hawker Siddeley Dynamics and built by British Aerospace from 1977...
was then launched from HMS Gloucester
HMS Gloucester (D96)
HMS Gloucester was a Batch 3 Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy. The ship was built by Vosper Thorneycroft at Woolston, Southampton and launched on 2 November 1982 by The Duchess of Gloucester. HMS Gloucester was one of the modified last four of the class to be built, having a lengthened hull...
in a 'tail end' engagement; destroying the Iraqi missile as it passed between Gloucester and the , achieving the first successful engagement of a missile by a missile during combat at sea.
Accidental downing of US aircraft
On June 4, 1996, a Japanese Phalanx accidentally shot down a US A-6 IntruderA-6 Intruder
The Grumman A-6 Intruder was an American, twin jet-engine, mid-wing attack aircraft built by Grumman Aerospace. In service with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, the Intruder was designed as an all-weather medium attack aircraft to replace the piston-engined A-1 Skyraider...
that was towing a radar target during gunnery exercises. A Phalanx aboard the Asagiri class destroyer
Asagiri class destroyer
The Asagiri-class destroyer was built in the mid-1980s and late 1980s and is in service with the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force.This class of general purpose destroyer is almost extended version of its predecessor Hatsuyuki-class destroyers, and similarly, it mainly tasked with ASW and ASUW...
Yūgiri locked onto the Intruder instead of the target. Both pilots ejected safely. A post-accident investigation concluded that the Yūgiri's gunnery officer gave the order to fire before the A-6 was out of the CIWS engagement envelope.
Centurion C-RAM
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
requested a quick-to-field anti-projectile system in May 2004, as part of its Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Mortar
Counter-RAM
Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar, abbreviated C-RAM or Counter-RAM, is a system used to detect and/or destroyincoming artillery, rockets and mortar rounds in the air before they hit their ground targets, or simply provide early warning....
initiative. The end result of this program was 'Centurion'. For all intents and purposes a terrestrial version of the Navy's CIWS, the Centurion was rapidly developed, with a proof of concept test in November that same year. It began deployment to Iraq in 2005, where it was set up to protect forward operating bases and other high-value sites in and around the capital, Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. Israel has purchased a single system for testing purposes, and is reported to be considering buying the system to counter rocket attacks and defend point military installations. Investments made in their own indigenous air defence system, Iron Dome
Iron Dome
Iron Dome is a mobile air defense system in development by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells. The system was created as a defensive countermeasure to the rocket threat against Israel's civilian population on its northern and southern...
, has provided competition to Centurion.
Each system uses consisted of a modified Phalanx 1B CIWS, powered by an attached generator and mounted on a trailer for mobility. Armed with a 20 mm
20 mm caliber
The 20 mm caliber is a specific size of cannon or autocannon ammunition, commonly the smallest caliber which is unambiguously a cannon and not a heavy machine gun....
M61A1 Gatling gun the unit is capable of firing 1,500 or 2,000 M246 or M940 rounds per minute. In 2008 there were more than twenty CIWS systems protecting bases in the U.S. Central Command area of operations. A Raytheon spokesman told Navy Times
Navy Times
Navy Times is a weekly newspaper serving active, reserve and retired United States Navy personnel and their families, providing news, information and analysis as well as community lifestyle features, educational supplements and resource guides...
that 105 attacks were defeated by the systems, most of those involved mortars. Based on the success of Centurion, 23 additional systems were ordered in September 2008.
Like the naval (1B) version, Centurion uses Ku-band radar and FLIR to detect and track incoming projectiles, and is also capable of engaging surface targets, with the system able to reach a -25 degree elevation. The Centurion is reportedly capable of defending a 1.2 km square area. One major difference between the land and sea based variants is the choice of ammunition. Whereas naval Phalanx systems fire tungsten armor-piercing rounds, the C-RAM uses the M246 or M940 HEIT-SD (High-Explosive Incendiary
High explosive incendiary
In warfare, High-explosive incendiary is a type of ammunition specially designed to pierce armor, fragment, and ignite readily combustible materials....
Tracer
Tracer ammunition
Tracer ammunition are bullets that are built with a small pyrotechnic charge in their base. Ignited by the burning powder, the phosphorus tail burns very brightly, making the projectile visible to the naked eye...
, Self-Destruct) ammunition, originally developed for the M163 Vulcan Air Defense System
M163 VADS
The M163 Vulcan Air Defense System is a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun that was used by the United States Army. The M168 gun is a variant of the General Dynamics 20 mm M61 Vulcan rotary cannon, the standard cannon in most US combat aircraft since the 1960s, mounted on either an armored...
. These rounds explode on impact with the target, or upon tracer burnout, thereby greatly reducing the risk of collateral damage, should any rounds fail to hit their target.
SeaRam
Utilising the armament of the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe MissileRIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile
The RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile is a small, lightweight, infrared homing surface-to-air missile in use by the American, German, South Korean, Greek, Turkish, Saudi and Egyptian navies. It was intended originally and used primarily as a point-defense weapon against anti-ship cruise missiles...
, and based on the mounting and targeting systems of the Phalanx, SeaRAM was developed in response to concerns about the performance of gun-based systems against modern, super-sonic sea-skimming anti-ship missiles. Designed as a companion self-defense system to Phalanx, the SeaRAM is equipped with an 11 cell RAM launcher, and provides defense at a longer range. Due to the common mounting, SeaRAM inherits the relatively easy installation characteristics of its gun-based sibling, with Raytheon stating that "[SeaRAM] fits the exact
shipboard installation footprint of the Phalanx, uses the same power and requires minimal shipboard modification". Currently in the trial stages, SeaRAM is fitted to the Independence Class
Independence class littoral combat ship
The Independence class is a class of littoral combat ships built for the United States Navy.The hull design evolved from a project at Austal to design a 40 knot cruise ship...
Littoral Combat Ship
Littoral combat ship
A Littoral Combat Ship is a type of relatively small surface vessel intended for operations in the littoral zone . It is "envisioned to be a networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals." Two ship classes are the first...
.
Specifications (Block 1A/B)
- Gun: 1× 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in)20 mm caliberThe 20 mm caliber is a specific size of cannon or autocannon ammunition, commonly the smallest caliber which is unambiguously a cannon and not a heavy machine gun....
M61 VulcanM61 VulcanThe M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon which fires 20 mm rounds at an extremely high rate. The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft...
6-barreled gatling cannon - Height: 4.7 metre
- Weight: 12500 lb (5,669.9 kg), later models 13600 lb (6,168.9 kg)
- Elevation -25° to +85°
- Muzzle velocity: 1100 m/s
- Rate of fire: 2,000 rounds/minute.
- Maximum burst size: 1000 rounds.
- Ammunition capacity: 1,550 rounds.
- Radar: Ku bandKu bandThe Kμ band is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies. This symbol refers to —in other words, the band directly below the K-band...
. - 100% Kill distance: Classified.
- Cost: $1.5 Million (gun system only - no radar)
Comparison with current CIWS
| AK-630 |
AK-630M1-2 |
Phalanx CIWS Phalanx CIWS The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division... |
Goalkeeper CIWS Goalkeeper CIWS Goalkeeper is a Dutch close-in weapon system introduced in 1979 and in use , which primarily defends ships against incoming missiles and ballistic shells. This system consists of an autocannon and an advanced radar which in typically six seconds detects incoming fire, determines its trajectory,... |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 9114 kg (20,092.9 lb) | 11819 kg (26,056.4 lb) | 6200 kg (13,668.7 lb) | 9902 kg (21,830.2 lb) |
| Armament | 30 mm (1.2 in) 6 barreled GSh-6-30 Gatling Gun | 30 mm (1.2 in) 2 * 6 barreled GSh-6-30 Gatling Gun | 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) 6 barreled M61 Vulcan M61 Vulcan The M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon which fires 20 mm rounds at an extremely high rate. The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft... Gatling Gun |
30 mm (1.2 in) 7 barreled GAU-8 Gatling Gun |
| Rate of Fire | 5,000 rounds per minute | 10,000 rounds per minute | 4,500 rounds per minute | 4,200 rounds per minute |
| (effective/ flat-trajectory) Range | 4000 m (13,123.4 ft) | 4000 m (13,123.4 ft) | 3600 m (11,811 ft) | 2000 m (6,561.7 ft) |
| Ammunition stowage | 2,000 rounds | 4,000 rounds | 1,550 rounds | 1,190 rounds |
| Muzzle velocity | 900 m (2,952.8 ft) per second | 900 m (2,952.8 ft) per second | 1100 m (3,608.9 ft) per second | 1109 m (3,638.5 ft) per second |
| Elevation | -12 to +88 degrees | -12 to +88 degrees | -25 to +85 degrees | -25 to +85 degrees |
| Traverse | 360 degrees | 360 degrees | -150 to +150 degrees | 360 degrees |
Similar systems
- AK-630AK-630The AK-630 is a Soviet fully automatic naval close-in weapon system based on a six-barreled 30 mm Gatling gun. It is mounted in an enclosed automatic turret and directed by radar and television detection and tracking. The system's primary purpose is defense against anti-ship missiles and other...
, Russian CIWS - Kashtan CIWSKashtan CIWSThe Kashtan Close-in weapon system is a modern naval air defence gun-missile system deployed by the Russian Navy.It is found on the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, Kirov class battlecruisers, Neustrashimy class, People's Liberation Army Navy Sovremenny class destroyers and Indian Talwar...
, Russian Gun-Missile CIWS - Goalkeeper CIWSGoalkeeper CIWSGoalkeeper is a Dutch close-in weapon system introduced in 1979 and in use , which primarily defends ships against incoming missiles and ballistic shells. This system consists of an autocannon and an advanced radar which in typically six seconds detects incoming fire, determines its trajectory,...
, Dutch CIWS - Meroka CIWSMeroka CIWSThe Meroka CIWS is a Spanish Navy 12 barrelled 20 mm CIWS, using twelve Oerlikon 20 mm/120 guns mounted in 2 rows of 6 guns each. The system's primary purpose is defence against anti-ship missiles, and other precision guided weapons. However it can also be employed against aircraft, ships...
, Spanish navy - RIM-116 Rolling Airframe MissileRIM-116 Rolling Airframe MissileThe RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile is a small, lightweight, infrared homing surface-to-air missile in use by the American, German, South Korean, Greek, Turkish, Saudi and Egyptian navies. It was intended originally and used primarily as a point-defense weapon against anti-ship cruise missiles...
, U.S. missile-based - Type 730 CIWSType 730 CIWSThe Type 730 is a Chinese seven-barrelled 30 mm Gatling gun CIWS. It has a PLA-N designation H/PJ12. It is mounted in an enclosed automatic turret and directed by radar, and electro-optical tracking systems...
, Chinese CIWS