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The Phalanx CIWS (Close-in weapon system, pronounced see-wiz) is an anti-missile system that was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division. It is now manufactured by the Raytheon Company. It is used by the United States Navy on every class of surface combat ship in its fleet and is used by navies of over twenty allied nations. Because of their distinctive barrel-shaped radome and their automated nature of operation, Phalanx CIWS units are sometimes nicknamed R2-D2s, after the famous droid from Star Wars. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1500x2100, 1884 KB) A Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) fires during a systems test aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1500x2100, 1884 KB) A Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) fires during a systems test aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). ...
Phalanx CIWS A Close-in weapon system (CIWS) is a naval shipboard weapon system for detecting and destroying incoming anti-ship missiles and enemy aircraft at short range (the threat(s) having penetrated the ships available outer defences). ...
Image:RBS-15 missile launch. ...
General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) is a defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures. ...
Nickname: Location in Los Angeles County and the State of California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles Government - Mayor Norma Torres Area - Total 22. ...
Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in defense systems and defense and commercial electronics. ...
USN redirects here. ...
Radomes at the Misawa Security Operations Center, Misawa, Japan. ...
R2-D2 (called R2, or Artoo for short), is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. ...
Luke Skywalker in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope along side astromech droid R2-D2, and protocol droid C-3PO. This is the concept of the droid in science fiction. ...
This article is about the series. ...
Overview Developed as the final line of defense (terminal defense or point defense) against anti-ship missiles (AShMs), including high-G and maneuvering sea-skimmers, the first system was offered to the U.S. Navy for evaluation on USS King in 1973. It was accepted and production started in 1978, the first ship fully fitted out was USS Coral Sea in 1980. The Navy began placing CIWS systems on noncombatant vessels in 1984. Point-defence is the defence of a single object or a limited area, e. ...
Image:RBS-15 missile launch. ...
USS King (DL-10), named for Fleet Admiral Ernest Joseph King USN (1878-1956), was a Farragut class guided missile destroyer leader laid down by the Bethlehem Puget Sound Navy Yard at Bremerton in Washington on 1 March 1957, launched on 6 December 1958 and commissioned on 17 November 1960. ...
USS Coral Sea (CV/CVB/CVA-43), a Midway-class aircraft carrier, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of the Coral Sea. ...
The basis of the system is a 20 mm M61 Vulcan Gatling-type rotary cannon linked to a radar system for acquiring and tracking targets. The gun fires at a variable 4,500–7,000 rounds per minute (hydraulic models only fired 3,000 rounds per minute): it is mounted in a self-contained turret along with an automated fire control system. The system automatically searches, detects, tracks, engages and confirms kills using its computer-controlled radar system. Because it is self-contained, Phalanx is ideal for support ships which lack integrated targeting systems and generally have limited sensors. The entire unit weighs between 5500 kg and 6100 kg(12,400 or 13,500 lb). Unmounted M61 Vulcan The 20 mm M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style cannon with an extremely high rate of fire. ...
A helicopter-mounted minigun operating during the Vietnam War The Minigun is a multibarreled machine gun with a high rate of fire (several thousand rounds per minute), employing Gatling-style rotating barrels and employing an external power source. ...
A fire-control system is a computer, often mechanical, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. ...
Phalanx has been developed through a number of different configurations. The basic style is the Block 0. The Block 1 (1988) offers 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 Soviet 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 infrared (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 Rolling Airframe Missile system to increase RAM engagement range and accuracy. The Block 1B also allows for human intervention to identify and target threats. Image File history File links 041017-N-0922G-001 Arabian Gulf (Oct. ...
Image File history File links 041017-N-0922G-001 Arabian Gulf (Oct. ...
A forward looking infrared (FLIR) system is a camera that takes pictures using the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. ...
A littoral is the region near the shoreline of a body of fresh or salt water. ...
RIM-116 test firing The RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile is a small, lightweight, infrared homing surface-to-air missile in use by the United States and German Navy. ...
The U.S. and Canada are 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 Japan, Egypt, Bahrain and the Royal Navy[1] This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ...
How the CIWS Works 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 SAMs, 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 V AC at 60 Hz and chilled water for electronics cooling. For full operation including some non-essential functions, it also has inputs for True compass ships heading and 115VAC for the PASS and tape drive subsystems. Josephson junction array chip developed by NIST as a standard volt. ...
City lights viewed in a motion blurred exposure. ...
This article is about the SI unit of frequency. ...
 A technician checks over the RADAR transmitter and microwave assemblies of a Phalanx CIWS, most likely a Block 0. The search radar can be seen at the top with the vertical, orange-peel shaped, tracking radar below it. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2800x1870, 1057 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Phalanx CIWS ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2800x1870, 1057 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Phalanx CIWS ...
Radar Subsystems The CIWS has two radars that work together to engage targets. The first radar is the search radar, 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 radar. The track radar is an "orange peel"-style radar that is more precise, but can only view a much smaller area. The track radar 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
 US Navy sailors load tungsten ammunition (white sabot at right) and off-load dummy ammunition (left). 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 1550 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 1550 round magazine. The velocity of the rounds once fired is approximately 3,600 feet (1,100 m) per second. The rounds are armor piercing penetrator rounds with discarding sabots. The rounds utilized are comprised of the heavy metal depleted uranium. The kinetic projectiles are designed to pierce and explode an incoming missile's warhead. Use of otherwise more effective high explosive shells would risk destroying the missile airframe while allowing the warhead to continue a ballistic trajectory into the ship. The ammo handling system uses 2 conveyor belt systems. One of the systems takes the rounds out of the magazine drum and takes them to the gun. The second conveyor system takes either the empty shells or non-fired rounds and routes them back to the opposite end of the drum. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1800x1200, 312 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Phalanx CIWS Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1800x1200, 312 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Phalanx CIWS Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to...
A sabot (French: shoe) is a device used in a firearm or cannon to fire a projectile or bullet that is smaller than the bore diameter. ...
Depleted uranium storage yard. ...
CIWS Contact Target Identification The CIWS does not recognize Identification friend or foe, 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. In telecommunications, identification, friend or foe (IFF) is a crypto identification system designed for command and control. ...
 A sailor sits in front of a CIWS Local Control Panel (LCP) during a general quarters drill. 1) 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. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2896x1916, 2294 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Phalanx CIWS ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2896x1916, 2294 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Phalanx CIWS ...
2) Is the contact capable of making a maneuver 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 perform a maneuver to still hit the ship.
3) 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's 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, meaning any contact going 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. The actual limits are classified.
What is described above are the basics of how the CIWS works. There are many other subsystems that run in the background to 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.
Phalanx in combat
 A night time test firing of the Phalanx Mark 15 Close In Weapons System (CIWS). The Phalanx system has never been credited with shooting down any enemy missiles or aircraft. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3000x1993, 874 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Phalanx CIWS ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3000x1993, 874 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Phalanx CIWS ...
February 25, 1991, during the first Gulf War, the USS Missouri and the Phalanx-equipped USS Jarrett were in the vicinity of an Iraqi Silkworm missile (often referred to as the 'Seersucker') that had been fired, either at Missouri or at the nearby British destroyer HMS Gloucester. After Missouri fired its SRBOC chaff, the Phalanx system on Jarrett, operating in the automatic target-acquisition mode, fixed upon Missouri's chaff and fired a burst of rounds (not destroying the incoming missile). From this burst, four rounds hit Missouri which was two to three miles (5 km) from Jarrett at the time. There were no injuries.[2] The Silkworm missile was then intercepted and destroyed by a Sea Dart missile launched from Gloucester. Incidentally, this is the first validated, successful engagement of a missile by a missile, during combat at sea. is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ...
For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ...
Radars: AN/SPS-49 Air Search Radar AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar Fire control: 4 × Mk 37 Gun Fire Control 2 × Mk 38 Gun Director 1 × Mk 40 Gun Director EW: AN/SLQ-32 Other: AN/SLQ-25 NIXIE Decoy System 8 × Super Rapid Bloom Rocket Launchers (SRBOC) Armor...
USS Jarrett (FFG-33), twenty-fifth ship of the Oliver Hazard Perry class of guided-missile frigates, was named for Vice Admiral Harry B. Jarrett (1898–1974). ...
Silkworm missile stored at Umm Qasr in Iraq. ...
HMS Gloucester (D96) is a Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy. ...
The Mark 36 Super Rapid Bloom Offboard Countermeasures (abbreviated as SRBOC or Super-RBOC) is a short-range rocket intended to launch chaff within the vicinity of naval vessels, with the purpose of foiling anti-shipping missiles. ...
Modern US Navy RR-129 and RR-124 chaff countermeasures and containers Chaff, originally called Window by the British, and Düppel by the WWII era German Luftwaffe, is a radar countermeasure in which aircraft or other targets spread a cloud of small, thin pieces of aluminium, metallised glass fibre...
Type surface-to-air, surface-to-surface Nationality UK Era Cold War Launch platform ship Target aircraft or ship History Builder British Aerospace Date of design Production period Service duration 1973 Operators UK (Royal Navy), Argentina Variants ? Number built 2,000+ Specifications Type Diameter 0. ...
June 4, 1996, a Japanese Phalanx accidentally shot down a US A-6 Intruder. The US plane 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.[3] 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.[4] is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...
The Grumman A-6 Intruder is a US attack aircraft. ...
The Asagiri class destroyer was built in the mid-1980s and late 1980s and is in service with Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force. ...
Phalanx is considered inadequate against some modern threats and is being gradually supplemented and replaced by the Rolling Airframe Missile, which has greater range and higher hit probability. The RAM system uses an automated and self-sufficient radar fire control similar to that of Phalanx. RIM-116 test firing The RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile is a small, lightweight, infrared homing surface-to-air missile in use by the United States and German Navy. ...
Land based version
 Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System The U.S. Army's version of the Navy's CIWS Phalanx anti-missile system is called the "Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System" (LPWS). It is a type of "C-RAM" (counter-rockets, artillery and mortars) defensive weapon. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ...
Image File history File links C-RAM_3. ...
Image File history File links C-RAM_3. ...
Whereas naval Phalanx systems fire depleted uranium or (more recently) tungsten armor-piercing rounds, the LPWS uses the 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. An M163 VADS The M163 Vulcan Air Defence System consists of a 20mm M61 Vulcan Cannon mounted on an M113 APC chassis in addition to an AN/VPS-2 rangefinding radar and an optical lead-calculating sight. ...
Similar systems A AK-630 installation aboard a Soviet built Tarantul I class missile boat. ...
Goalkeeper CIWS on a British Invincible-class Goalkeeper is a Dutch close-in weapon system, which defends ships against incoming missiles and ballistic shells. ...
This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...
RIM-116 test firing RAM Launcher on German Gepard class fast attack craft Wiesel The RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) is a small, lightweight, infrared homing surface-to-air missile in use by the United States Navy, German Navy, Hellenic Navy, and South Korean Navy. ...
The Type 730 is a Chinese 30 mm Gatling gun CIWS. It is mounted in an enclosed automatic turret and directed by radar, and electro-optical tracking systems. ...
Notes CNN or Cable News Network is a cable television network that was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner & Reese Schonfeld [1]. It is a division of the Turner Broadcasting System, owned by Time Warner. ...
is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...
is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...
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