Editing Phalanx CIWS (section)

{{dmy|date=March 2024}}
{{short description|Close-in weapon system}}
{{Infobox weapon
| name               = 
| image              = Phalanx CIWS Block 1B Full Sized USS Elrod FFG-55.jpg
| image_size         = 300
| caption            = Phalanx CIWS aboard the former {{USS|Elrod|FFG-55}} in 2019.
| origin             = United States<!-- Country flag removed per [[WP:Manual of Style#Images]]. -->
| type               = [[Close-in weapon system]]
<!-- Type selection -->| is_ranged          = Yes
| is_bladed          = 
| is_explosive       = Yes
| is_artillery       = Yes
| is_vehicle         = 
| is_missile         = 
| is_UK              = <!-- Service history -->
| service            = 1980–present
| used_by            = See [[#Operators|''operators'']]
| wars               = {{Tree list}}
*[[Cold War]]
**[[Gulf War|Persian Gulf War]]
*[[Yemeni civil war (2014–present)|Yemeni Civil War]]
**[[Red Sea crisis]]
{{Tree list/end}}
<!-- Production history -->| designer           = [[General Dynamics]]
| design_date        = 1969
| manufacturer       = General Dynamics
| unit_cost          = * 5 × Block 1B £8.56M each to UK
* 9 × Block 1B US$13.66M each for SK
* 13 × Mk 15 Block 1B Baseline 2 for TW, total cost: US$416M with 260,000 × Mk 244 Mod 0 armor-piercing bullet. 8 sets are for upgrading the current Block 0 to MK15 Phalanx Block 1B Baseline 2.<ref name="storm.mg"/>
| production_date    = 1978<ref name="navweaps"/>
| number             = 
| variants           = 3
<!-- General specifications -->| spec_label         = early models
| weight             = *{{cvt|12500|lb|lk=off}}<ref name="navweaps"/>
| part_length        = {{cvt|59.8|in}} L76 gun (Block 0 & 1): <ref name="navweaps"/>
| width              = 
| height             = {{cvt|15.5|ft}}
| diameter           = 
| crew               = <!-- Ranged weapon specifications -->
| cartridge          = [[20×102mm|20×102&nbsp;mm]] tungsten [[armor-piercing discarding sabot]] (CIWS) or 
[[high-explosive incendiary]] [[Tracer ammunition|tracer]] (C-RAM)
| cartridge_weight   = 
| caliber            = {{cvt|20|mm}}
| barrels            = 6-barrel (progressive RH parabolic twist, 9 grooves)
| action             = 
| rate               = 4,500 rounds/minute (75 rounds/second)<!-- * Block 1A/1B: 4,500 rounds/minute (75 rounds/second) -->
| velocity           = {{cvt|3600|ft/s}}<ref name="navweaps"/>
| max_range          = {{cvt|6000|yd}}<ref name="navweaps"/>
| range              = {{cvt|1625|yd}} max. effective range<ref name="navweaps"/>
| feed               = 
| sights             = <!-- Artillery specifications -->
| breech             = 
| recoil             = 
| carriage           = 
| elevation          = {{unbulleted list| Block 0: −10°/+80° | Block 1: −20°/+80° | Block 1B: −25°/+85°}}
| traverse           = 150° from either side of centerline

<!-- Explosive specifications -->| filling            = 
| filling_weight     = 
| detonation         = 
| yield              = <!-- Vehicle/missile specifications -->
| armour             = 
| primary_armament   = 1×20&nbsp;mm [[M61 Vulcan]] [[Gatling gun#M61 Vulcan, Minigun, and other designs|6-barreled Gatling cannon]]<ref name="1987 almanac"/>
| secondary_armament = 
| engine             = 
| engine_power       = 
| pw_ratio           = 
| transmission       = 
| payload_capacity   = 
| suspension         = 
| clearance          = 
| fuel_capacity      = 
| vehicle_range      = 
| speed              = 
| guidance           = Ku-band radar and [[Forward looking infrared|FLIR]]<ref>[http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/rtnwcm/groups/rms/documents/content/rtn_rms_ps_phalanx_ciws_datash.pdf ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007164338/http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/rtnwcm/groups/rms/documents/content/rtn_rms_ps_phalanx_ciws_datash.pdf |date=October 7, 2009 }}</ref>
| steering           = 
}}

The '''Phalanx CIWS''' ({{respell|SEE|wiz}}) is an automated gun-based [[close-in weapon system]] to defend military watercraft automatically against incoming threats such as aircraft, [[anti-ship missile|missiles]], and small boats. It was designed and manufactured by the [[General Dynamics|General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division]],<ref name="1987 almanac">Thomas, Vincent C. ''The Almanac of Seapower 1987'' Navy League of the United States (1987) {{ISBN|0-9610724-8-2}} p.191</ref> later a part of [[Raytheon]]. Consisting of a radar-guided {{cvt|20|mm|1}} [[M61 Vulcan|Vulcan cannon]] mounted on a swiveling base, the Phalanx has been used by the [[United States Navy]] and the naval forces of 15 other countries. The U.S. Navy deploys it on every class of surface combat ship, except the {{sclass|Zumwalt|destroyer}} and {{sclass|San Antonio|amphibious transport dock}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/Pages/LPD.aspx#.WIBMG1UrLIU|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304210259/http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/Pages/LPD.aspx#.WIBMG1UrLIU|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 4, 2014|title=Amphibious Transport Dock|website=www.public.navy.mil}}</ref> Other users include the British [[Royal Navy]], the [[Royal Australian Navy]], the [[Royal New Zealand Navy]], the [[Royal Canadian Navy]], and the [[U.S. Coast Guard]].
 
A land variant, the LPWS (Land Phalanx Weapon System), part of the [[Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar]] (C-RAM) system, was developed.<ref name="murdoconline.net">{{cite web |url=http://www.murdoconline.net/archives/003558.html |title=Murdoc online March 20, 2006 CIWS now does surface targets, too|author=murdoc |publisher=Murdoconline.net |date=20 March 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412090513/http://www.murdoconline.net/archives/003558.html |archive-date=April 12, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was deployed to counter [[rocket]], [[artillery]] and [[Mortar (weapon)|mortar]] attacks during the [[Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan (2020–2021)|2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=U.S. Forces Use C-RAM To Take Out Rocket Aimed At Kabul Airport |last=Beinart |first=Matthew |work=Defense Daily |date=30 August 2021 |url= https://www.defensedaily.com/u-s-forces-use-c-ram-to-take-out-rocket-aimed-at-kabul-airport/army/ |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Roblin|first=Sebastien|title=Robotic Gatling Guns Repel ISIS-K Rocket Attack On Kabul Airport|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/sebastienroblin/2021/08/30/robotic-gatling-guns-repel-isis-k-rocket-attack-on-kabul-airport/|access-date=2021-11-17|website=Forbes|language=en}}</ref> The U.S. Navy also fields the [[SeaRAM]] system, which pairs the [[RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile]] with sensors based on the Phalanx.