Vulcan Phalanx
| Phalanx CIWS | |
|---|---|
Phalanx (Block 1A) live fire test aboard USS Monterey in November 2008.
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| Type | Close-in weapon system |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1980–present |
| Used by | See operators |
| Wars | Persian Gulf War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | General Dynamics (now Raytheon) |
| Manufacturer | General Dynamics (now Raytheon) |
| Unit cost |
5X Block 1B 8.56M pound to UK |
| Produced | 1978 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 12,500 lb (5,700 kg), later models 13,600 lb (6,200 kg) |
| Barrel length | • Block 0 & 1 (L76 gun barrel): 60 in (1,500 mm) • Block 1B (L99 gun barrel): 78 in (2,000 mm) |
| Height | 15.5 ft (4.7 m) |
| Crew | Automated, with human oversight |
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| Shell | • Naval: Armor-piercing tungsten penetrator rounds with discarding sabots. • Land: High-Explosive Incendiary Tracer, Self-Destruct. |
| Caliber | 20×102 mm |
| Barrels | 6-barrel (progressive RH parabolic twist, 9 grooves) |
| Elevation | • Block 0: -10°/+80° • Block 1: -20°/+80° (Rate of elevation: 86°/sec for Block 0/1) • Block 1B: -25°/+85° (Rate of elevation: 115°/sec) |
| Traverse | • 150° from either side of centerline (Rate of traverse: 100°/sec for Block 0 & 1, 116°/sec for Block 1B) |
| Rate of fire | 4,500 rounds/minute (75 rounds/second). |
| Muzzle velocity | 3,600 ft/s (1,100 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | Classified |
| Maximum firing range | 2.2 mi (3.5 km) |
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Main
armament |
1×20 mm M61 Vulcan 6-barreled Gatling cannon |
|
Guidance
system |
Ku-band radar and FLIR |
5X Block 1B 8.56M pound to UK
9X Block 1B 13.66M USD each for SK
13 sets MK15 Phalanx Block 1B Baseline 2 for TW, 8 set is for upgrading the current Block 0 to MK15 Phalanx Block 1B Baseline 2, total cost: 0.416B with 260K MK 244 MOD 0 armor piercing bullet, Baseline2 is the newest model in Block 1B on 11/2016
The Phalanx CIWS (pronounced "sea-whiz") is a close-in weapon system for defense against anti-ship missiles. It was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division (now a part of Raytheon). Consisting of a radar-guided 20 mm Gatling gun mounted on a swiveling base, the Phalanx has been used by multiple navies around the world, notably the United States Navy on every class of surface combat ship with the exception of the San Antonio class LPD, by the British Royal Navy in its older escorts (where weight limits the use of the heavier Dutch Goalkeeper 30 mm CIWS), by the United States Coast Guard aboard its Hamilton-class and Legend-class cutters, and the navies of 16 allied nations.
A land based variant, known as C-RAM, has recently been deployed in a short range missile defense role, to counter incoming rockets 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 character from the Star Wars films.
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Wikipedia