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Originally posted by WRS92GT:
That would be the US Navy's 20mm CIWS (Close In Weapons System) aka R2-D2 used for splashing inbound cruise missles, anti-ship missles and hostile aircraft within close proximity. It fires a 20mm high explosive depleted uranium round. It's a very effective system. It's normally fed through an electric feed ramp from a magazine within the ship. The magazine is usually 40,000 rounds, which isn't all that much considering it fires at a rate of over 6,000 rounds per minute=60 rounds per second. You can find them atop pretty much an surface combat vessel in our inventory (cruisers, destroyers, frigates and aircraft carriers).

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posted                                

quote:

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Originally posted by z pyro:

quote:

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Originally posted by WRS92GT:
That would be the US Navy's 20mm CIWS (Close In Weapons System) aka R2-D2 used for splashing inbound cruise missles, anti-ship missles and hostile aircraft within close proximity. It fires a 20mm high explosive depleted uranium round. It's a very effective system. It's normally fed through an electric feed ramp from a magazine within the ship. The magazine is usually 40,000 rounds, which isn't all that much considering it fires at a rate of over 6,000 rounds per minute=60 rounds per second. You can find them atop pretty much an surface combat vessel in our inventory (cruisers, destroyers, frigates and aircraft carriers).

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funny, I would think a very effective system would have actually done something in combat...

"The Phalanx system has not been openly credited with shooting down any enemy missiles or aircraft.

In February 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 HMS Gloucester. After Missouri fired a bundle of 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, she being two to three miles from Jarrett at the time. There were no injuries.[1] The Silkworm missile was then intercepted by a Sea Dart missile launched from the British Royal Navy warship HMS Gloucester. Incidentally, this is the first validated, successful engagement of a missile by a missile, during combat at sea.

In 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 destroyer Yuugiri locked onto the Intruder instead of the target. Both pilots ejected safely. The incident was blamed on tactical error.

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."

from the wikipedia page

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