SvenSvensonov
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From automated cannons that literally shred their target to pieces, to extremely agile missile systems, Close-In Weapon Systems are a vessel's last line of defense against anything hostile above the waterline that is danger close.
Russian AK-630
The granddaddy of Close In Weapon Systems, the AK-630 was first tested in the mid 1960s and took almost a decade to become operational. In its original form, this turreted cannon system gets its fire control guidance from a remotely mounted radar system, an optical sight or an old school set of iron sights located next to the cannon installation. When fired, it slings 30X165mm cannon shells at over 5,000 rounds per minute. This wall of lead shatters incoming cruise, aircraft missiles or small boats with proven reliability.
The AK-630 was a staple of any Soviet surface combatant during the last two decades of the Cold War and over 1000 of the systems have been built for internal Russian use or for export to almost two dozen countries. The system continues to be built today in the much updated AK-630-M2 "Duet" system, which has a stealthy turret and packs a pair of 30mm gatling guns. This "twin pack" over-and-under design means that incoming targets get obliterated via two streams of 30mm cannon fire spewing down-range at about 10,000 rounds per minute.
Italian Dardo ("Dart")
This CIWS system takes a different approach to engaging incoming enemies, instead of a slinging a wall of armor piercing ammo at its target, it fires larger 40mm explosive cannon shells to get the job done. Built by Oto Malera and featuring a pair of Swedish designed 40mm Bofors cannons, the Dordo may only throw out about 750 rounds per minute, but those rounds pack a big fragmentation radius and a powerful concussive punch. The Dordo is targeted using a remotely mounted radar and fire control system and is exported to close to a dozen counties around the globe including Venezuela, South Korea, Malaysia and Iraq.
American MK15 Phalanx
Probably the most famous of all CIWS system, and a movie star in its own right having appeared in blockbusters like Under Siege and Sum Of All Fears, the Phalanx is euphemistically referred to as a demented sibling of Star Wars' beloved R2D2's droid. The Phalanx packs the famous M61 "Vulcan" 20mm cannon, a gun found on almost every modern American fighter aircraft since the F-104 Starfighter. Its six revolving barrels spray out a stream on tungsten sabot armor piercing rounds at a rate of over 75 rounds a second.
The Phalanx's iconic white cylindrical appearance comes from its self contained radar system, the top of the unit housing its rotating search radar and center of unit housing its sensitive tracking radar. Later block models also have a high resolution FLIR and electro-optical sensors mounted to the left of their cannon barrels. This unique configuration allows for an almost an entirely self contained "drop in" system where no additional radar or sensors are needed to employ the system aside from the command and control console. This is a huge plus as the Phalanx can easily, and relatively cheaply, integrate itself into virtually an vessel large enough to accept it.
The Phalanx, which entered service close to a decade after the Soviet AK-630, can be employed autonomously (where it fires freely at targets that it identifies as hostile), semi autonomously (asks for permission from a sailor manning its command console) or manually, where a crewman can literally steer the gun and fire it via a joystick using the visual feed from the system's optical sensors.
Although Phalanx does not pack as big of a punch as the many other CIWS systems in this list, it remains a staple of the US Navy and many other navies around the world many decades after its initial fielding. For what it lacks in firepower it makes up for in decades of testing, refinement and improvement. Additionally, its soulless appearance and twitchy drive system make it fascinatingly creepy to watch in action.
Swiss/German Millennium Gun
This high-tech CIWS is manufactured by Oerlikon Defense and is one nasty little missile murderer. The gun itself is really just part of a two part symbiotic weapon system where the ammo it fires is considered "smart." The gun measures the speed of each 35mm cannon shell coming out of its bore at over 1000 rounds per minute, and it then programs each of the shells to detonate at pre-set distances. At which time over 150 pieces of shrapnel fly in every direction at well over the speed of sound. The combo of the Millennium Gun's big shell (with a large and precise blast radius) and its high-speed firing rate equals a very high probability that it kills or catastrophically disables the hostile threat in a very short period of time.
The Millennium Gun is housed in a low observable (stealthy) turret that is almost entirely self contained, it can even run on battery power alone, and it uses a modular control console interface that can be tied into many existing fire control systems. The whole idea is that this system can be fielded on virtually an ship with deck space large enough to accommodate it with very limited modifications. Currently this super-smart cannon is fielded by Denmark and Venezuela but many more Navies are looking at it for their future surface combatants or as a way to breathe some new life into their aging ships.
Dutch Goalkeeper
Take the Phalanx's fire control concept and ditch its 20mm Vulcan cannon for the famed 30mm GAU-8 Avenger cannon, the same monster that is mounted in the A-10 Warthog, and you get one hardcore screen of fire surrounding your ship. Goalkeeper, designed by Thales Defense, is the ultimate in high rate of fire, sea skimming missile pulverizing capability. The Dirty Harry of the CIWS world if you will.
The Goalkeeper is truly one scary looking CIWS, with its large mounting structure needed to handle the massive thrust of its Avenger cannon when it spews solid tungsten sabot penetrators at 4,200 rounds per minute. This fire breather offers almost double the range and much more destructive power than its little cousin the Phalanx, and it is also in the process or receiving upgrades that include a FLIR system so that it can chew apart fast boats and other doomed floating enemy objects with ease. The Goalkeeper system has been around for over 30 years and it is currently deployed with a number of operators including the Royal Navy, Belgian Navy and South Korean Navy.
Russian AK-630
The granddaddy of Close In Weapon Systems, the AK-630 was first tested in the mid 1960s and took almost a decade to become operational. In its original form, this turreted cannon system gets its fire control guidance from a remotely mounted radar system, an optical sight or an old school set of iron sights located next to the cannon installation. When fired, it slings 30X165mm cannon shells at over 5,000 rounds per minute. This wall of lead shatters incoming cruise, aircraft missiles or small boats with proven reliability.
The AK-630 was a staple of any Soviet surface combatant during the last two decades of the Cold War and over 1000 of the systems have been built for internal Russian use or for export to almost two dozen countries. The system continues to be built today in the much updated AK-630-M2 "Duet" system, which has a stealthy turret and packs a pair of 30mm gatling guns. This "twin pack" over-and-under design means that incoming targets get obliterated via two streams of 30mm cannon fire spewing down-range at about 10,000 rounds per minute.
Italian Dardo ("Dart")
This CIWS system takes a different approach to engaging incoming enemies, instead of a slinging a wall of armor piercing ammo at its target, it fires larger 40mm explosive cannon shells to get the job done. Built by Oto Malera and featuring a pair of Swedish designed 40mm Bofors cannons, the Dordo may only throw out about 750 rounds per minute, but those rounds pack a big fragmentation radius and a powerful concussive punch. The Dordo is targeted using a remotely mounted radar and fire control system and is exported to close to a dozen counties around the globe including Venezuela, South Korea, Malaysia and Iraq.
American MK15 Phalanx
Probably the most famous of all CIWS system, and a movie star in its own right having appeared in blockbusters like Under Siege and Sum Of All Fears, the Phalanx is euphemistically referred to as a demented sibling of Star Wars' beloved R2D2's droid. The Phalanx packs the famous M61 "Vulcan" 20mm cannon, a gun found on almost every modern American fighter aircraft since the F-104 Starfighter. Its six revolving barrels spray out a stream on tungsten sabot armor piercing rounds at a rate of over 75 rounds a second.
The Phalanx's iconic white cylindrical appearance comes from its self contained radar system, the top of the unit housing its rotating search radar and center of unit housing its sensitive tracking radar. Later block models also have a high resolution FLIR and electro-optical sensors mounted to the left of their cannon barrels. This unique configuration allows for an almost an entirely self contained "drop in" system where no additional radar or sensors are needed to employ the system aside from the command and control console. This is a huge plus as the Phalanx can easily, and relatively cheaply, integrate itself into virtually an vessel large enough to accept it.
The Phalanx, which entered service close to a decade after the Soviet AK-630, can be employed autonomously (where it fires freely at targets that it identifies as hostile), semi autonomously (asks for permission from a sailor manning its command console) or manually, where a crewman can literally steer the gun and fire it via a joystick using the visual feed from the system's optical sensors.
Although Phalanx does not pack as big of a punch as the many other CIWS systems in this list, it remains a staple of the US Navy and many other navies around the world many decades after its initial fielding. For what it lacks in firepower it makes up for in decades of testing, refinement and improvement. Additionally, its soulless appearance and twitchy drive system make it fascinatingly creepy to watch in action.
Swiss/German Millennium Gun
This high-tech CIWS is manufactured by Oerlikon Defense and is one nasty little missile murderer. The gun itself is really just part of a two part symbiotic weapon system where the ammo it fires is considered "smart." The gun measures the speed of each 35mm cannon shell coming out of its bore at over 1000 rounds per minute, and it then programs each of the shells to detonate at pre-set distances. At which time over 150 pieces of shrapnel fly in every direction at well over the speed of sound. The combo of the Millennium Gun's big shell (with a large and precise blast radius) and its high-speed firing rate equals a very high probability that it kills or catastrophically disables the hostile threat in a very short period of time.
The Millennium Gun is housed in a low observable (stealthy) turret that is almost entirely self contained, it can even run on battery power alone, and it uses a modular control console interface that can be tied into many existing fire control systems. The whole idea is that this system can be fielded on virtually an ship with deck space large enough to accommodate it with very limited modifications. Currently this super-smart cannon is fielded by Denmark and Venezuela but many more Navies are looking at it for their future surface combatants or as a way to breathe some new life into their aging ships.
Dutch Goalkeeper
Take the Phalanx's fire control concept and ditch its 20mm Vulcan cannon for the famed 30mm GAU-8 Avenger cannon, the same monster that is mounted in the A-10 Warthog, and you get one hardcore screen of fire surrounding your ship. Goalkeeper, designed by Thales Defense, is the ultimate in high rate of fire, sea skimming missile pulverizing capability. The Dirty Harry of the CIWS world if you will.
The Goalkeeper is truly one scary looking CIWS, with its large mounting structure needed to handle the massive thrust of its Avenger cannon when it spews solid tungsten sabot penetrators at 4,200 rounds per minute. This fire breather offers almost double the range and much more destructive power than its little cousin the Phalanx, and it is also in the process or receiving upgrades that include a FLIR system so that it can chew apart fast boats and other doomed floating enemy objects with ease. The Goalkeeper system has been around for over 30 years and it is currently deployed with a number of operators including the Royal Navy, Belgian Navy and South Korean Navy.
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