CIWS

     The Phalanx Close-in Weapons System is a last-ditch defense system against anti-ship missles. It combines on a single mount; fire-control radars and a six-barrel gatling gun firing depleted-uranium and tungsten projectiles at a theoretical rate of 3,000 rounds a minute. USS Mississippi had two CIWS mounts, one port the other starboard.

CIWS CHARACTERISTICS

WEIGHT: 12,000 pounds
HEIGHT: 15 feet
GUN: M61A1 Vulcan (Gatling-type)
AMMUNITION: 20mm with high-density penetrating projectile
MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 1,500
FIRING RATE: 3,000 rounds per minute
RANGE: 1,625 yards (effective)
CONTRACTORS: Hughes Missle Systems

Home