Phalanx CIWS

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Phalanx CIWS on the USS Kearsarge (LHD 3)

The Phalanx Mk-15 from Raytheon (formerly Hughes ) is an American short-range defense system for defense against approaching missiles . The system is installed on almost every ship in the US Navy and has been exported to over 20 countries.

history

The system was developed in the 1970s to protect the ships (especially the aircraft carriers ) of the United States Navy against attacks by the Soviet Navy . This had bombers of type Tupolev Tu-22M , the flying at high speed anti-ship missiles could carry. The system was first installed on the USS Bigelow and subjected to extensive testing. The first production model was used on the USS Coral Sea . The system has been improved several times over the years and is still in use today alongside the RAM system. The SeaRAM system, also from Raytheon, is available as a replacement . It combines the search and fire control electronics from Phalanx with the RAM guided missiles and can replace an existing Phalanx system without major modifications.

The crews of the ships gave the phalanx systems the nickname “R2-D2” because their appearance is reminiscent of the droid R2-D2 from the Star Wars films.

The Indian Navy is currently considering purchasing additional phalanx systems. She already received two units with the purchase of the USS Trenton (now "INS Jalashva") in January 2007 and is now looking into the procurement of further Block 1B systems for other ships.

Functionality and technology

With this system, the leading radar of the cannon is located directly above the (almost) fully articulated gun and automatically determines the targets for the system, which the CIWS then targets with a series of armor piercing discarding sabot (APDS)) fires from an M61 Vulcan cannon. Thus, the CIWS is not dependent on the ship's systems, but acts autonomously and defends the ship even if, for example, the combat control center or the sensors (radars) for managing other systems (such as Sea Sparrow , RAM or others) have already failed.

Versions

Phalanx block 1B

Block 0 : The first operational version comprised the original search / target radar and the M61A1 Gatling cannon with 989 rounds and a rate of fire of 3000 rounds / min ( caliber : 20 mm).

Block 1 : A new search radar was installed, which works more precisely, covers a wider search radius and has more possibilities to detect high-flying missiles. The cannon barrels were fixed better, which increased the range and precision. Furthermore, the rate of fire could be increased from 3000 to 4500 rounds / min (75 rounds / sec.). Instead of ammunition based on depleted uranium , tungsten ammunition was introduced, with the magazine also being enlarged from 960 to 1500 rounds. The computing capacity has also been increased.

Block 1A : To further increase the computing power, the system was equipped with a High Order Language Computer , which can react better and faster to maneuvering, fast targets. The fire control system could now also be coupled with a RAM starter in order to supply it with target data.

Block 1B Phalanx Surface Mode : The main feature of this version is the side-mounted FLIR and AAVT ( Automatic Acquisition Video Tracker ) system. The main purpose is to better record sea ​​mines , drones , airplanes, small boats and helicopters , which the system can now fight autonomously. The FLIR / AAVT system also improves the performance compared to modern, supersonic missiles, as these can now be fought faster and more precisely with an additional EO target acquisition. In a test, a MQM-8 Vandal missile with a speed of Mach 2.4 was detected at a distance of 10 km by radar and 7.7 km by infrared and destroyed at a distance of 1.4 km. In addition, a new type of ammunition was introduced which, in tests by the US Navy, reached the performance of 30 mm ammunition with regard to the “kill probability”. The effectiveness of the cannon has also been increased once again and now has about 35% less dispersion than the basic model. The newly developed radar system of the SeaRAM system is also implemented in the "Baseline 1" version . A modernized version was successfully tested in April 2017.

Technical specifications

Two open phalanx systems
Mk 149-2 ammunition
Mk 149-4 ammunition

Cannon data

  • Barrel length :
    • Block 0 to 1A: 1520 mm
    • Block 1B: 1981 mm
  • Cadence :
    • Block 0: 3000 rounds / min
    • From block 1: 3000 or 4500 rounds / min
  • Magazine capacity :
    • Block 0: 989 rounds
    • From block 1: 1550 rounds
  • Muzzle velocity : 1113 m / s (Mk 149)
  • Maximum range: 5500 m (Mk 149-4)
  • Firing range: approx. 3500 m
  • Range of destruction: approx. 1500 m
  • Scattering:
    • Block 0: 1.2 mrad
    • Block 1B: 0.8 mrad

Search and fire control sensors

  • Radar:
  • FLIR (block 1B only):
    • Frequency range: 2.5–38 THz (8–12 µm ; infrared )
    • Tracking accuracy: 0.01-0.05 mrad
  • Energy requirement:
    • Search mode: 18 kW
    • Tracking mode: 70 kW

agility

variant Block 0 Block 1 Block 1B
elevation −10 ° / + 80 ° −20 ° / + 80 ° −25 ° / + 85 °

Vertical speed		 86 ° / s 115 ° / s
azimuth ± 150 °
Speed
horizontal 		100 ° / s 115 ° / s
Turning radius 3.48 m k. A.

ammunition

designation Mk 149 Mk 149-2 Mk 149-4 Mk 244-0 ELC 1
Type APDS
caliber 20 mm
Cartridge weight 263 g k. A.
Cartridge length 168 mm <168 mm
Projectile weight 100 g 150 g
Projectile length 102 mm > 102 mm
Penetrator material depleted uranium Tungsten carbide
Penetrator caliber 12.75 mm 17.60 mm
Penetrator weight 70 g 105 g
use Block 0 Block 1 Block 1B

1 ELC stands for "Enhanced Lethality Cartridge" ( English for "ammunition with increased lethality").

C-RAM

C-RAM

A land version for defense against mortar and artillery shells was developed on behalf of the US Army , which is called C-RAM (counter rocket artillery mortar system) . Several units were transported to Iraq in June 2005 . The C-RAM uses self-destructive ammunition, so-called HEIT-SD (high-explosive incendiary tracer, self-destruct) to protect against a series of falling projectiles . These projectiles explode either when they hit the target or when the tracer set burns , which significantly reduces the risk of projectiles that miss their target. In November 2007 the US Army ordered a total of 12 C-RAM systems. In Iraq, the system was able to repel over 110 mortar attacks by August 2009.

Laser Area Defense System

Raytheon is currently working on a phalanx system equipped with laser technology , the LADS (Laser Area Defense System). The Gatling gun is replaced by 40 bundled fiber lasers with a total output of 20  kW . The structure and the sensors only had to be modified slightly. Two areas of application are currently being considered for the LADS: On the one hand, a vehicle-based variant that can fight mortar shells and missiles, and on the other, a ship-based version that is designed for use against anti-ship missiles .

During a test in January 2007, the system was able to destroy a 60 mm mortar shell at a distance of 500 meters. Raytheon is already working on an improved variant that should achieve a range of 1000 meters and more.

Comparable systems

Web links

Commons : Phalanx CIWS  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Aviation Week. May 7, 2008, accessed October 10, 2016 .
  2. ↑ INS Jalashwa. In: bharat-rakshak.com. June 22, 2007, accessed October 10, 2016 .
  3. ↑ New electric gun for Phalanx® Close-In Weapon System passes first test PRNewswire.com, April 4, 2017
  4. ↑ defensetech.org: R2-D2 vs. Mortar Rounds
  5. ↑ DTI. (No longer available online.) In: zinio.com. August 2009, p. 26 , archived from the original on December 8, 2017 ; accessed on October 10, 2016 (English).