With the EFV suffering an unwarranted death (well maybe, it was expensive but maybe pressure could have been applied to the manufacturer to lower it) its time to ditch the ATK gun and get something designed from the outset for service aboard naval vessels.
My candidate is the Oerlikon Millennium 35 mm Naval Revolver Gun System...the following information and photos are from NAVWEPS.com
 |
| Prototype 35 mm Naval Gun System (GDM-008)
Millennium on the Lockheed Martin Sea Slice
Note the triple-coil muzzle velocity gauge and fuze setter Photograph copyrighted by Oerlikon Contraves AG |
| Stats via Wikipedia...Oerlikon Millennium 35mm Naval Revolver Gun System | |
|---|---|
| Type | CIWS |
| Place of origin | Germany, Switzerland |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2003 |
| Used by | Denmark |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1995 |
| Manufacturer | Rheinmetall, Oerlikon Contraves |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | Gun: 450kg Turret: 3300kg |
| Length | 5.5 m |
| Width | 2.39 m |
| Height | 1.94 m |
| Crew | unmanned |
| Shell | 35 x 228 mm |
| Caliber | 35 mm |
| Action | Revolver cannon |
| Elevation | -15 / +85 degrees rate: 70 degree/s |
| Traverse | 360 degrees rate: 120 degrees per second |
| Rate of fire | Single shoot Short Burst: 200 rounds per minute Full automatic fire: 1000 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | AHEAD: 3,445 fps (1,050 mps) HEI: 3,854 fps (1,175 mps) APDS/T: 3,950 fps (1,440 mps) |
| Effective range | 3500m (3830 yards) |
| Feed system | 252 linkless rounds on turret |
Long story short, Rheinmetall-detc has created a modular weapon system that can be changed out in 30 minutes, is tailor made for the LCS mission and is in worldwide service. It can be had for a song (relatively) and is effective against air and surface targets.
Why go German? The Dutch and Danish CV9035s are armed with the (US) ATK Bushmaster III 35/50 - standard loaded with 35mm AHEAD but with minor modifications, the turret can be equipped with a 50mm gun.
ReplyDelete(An important consideration for the Netherlands was that there are still significant stocks of 35mm AA ammo in inventory from the sold Gepard/Cheetah SPAAG.)
Edit: what I was trying to say was that the LPD-17 class is already equipped with EFV-type turrets. The airbursting cannon is doing fine, it was the EFV chassis and protection that apparently was its undoing.
ReplyDeleteMarcase.
ReplyDeleteare you sure? the Absalon I thought sported the Rheinmetall gun.
i just want something effective, stealthy and able to put down killing fires. if the ATK can do it then fine, but a weapon in limited service in a mount that diminishes the already limited stealth capabilities that ships have doesn't float my boat. pun intended.
Yeah, got a bit lost in translation. The Danish Absalon vessels are equipped with the Rheinmetall/Oerlikon Millenium 35mm CIWS, but their CV9035 IFVs are equipped with 35mm Bushmaster IIIs. Full ammo commonality as both can fire the AHEAD-fuzed 35mm.
ReplyDeleteEven with the EFV (and even FCS) cancellation, the earmarked ATK 30mm may survive both and be installed in the replacement of EFV/FCS/MGV/whatever. A bit lighter, but the airbursting 30mm - especially salvoed - is an awesome suppression capability.
To my untrained eye, the Mk 46 looks at least as "stealthy" as the Millennium gun turret. I imagine less expensive too.
ReplyDeleteA big strike against the Millennium gun is ammo commonality. The US military doesn't use 35mm and US companies don't specialize in making it.
On the plus side, the Millennium gun turret is an effective CIWS as well, and was built from scratch to be a naval turret.
Millennium gun isn't only an effective CIWS for air attack, the air burst is also excellent against small boat targets...
ReplyDeleteOn the positive side, there are AHEAD rounds in other sizes...sizes the US uses. But we don't use the rounds.
I believe we are buying 57mm 3P rounds (essentially AHEAD) for the Mk110. We are working on timed airburst rounds for the 30mm as well.
ReplyDeletei rather see them buy the international variant of the LCS, bigger, with AEGIS and VLS systems to have more strike power.
ReplyDeleteWas the international version actually bigger? Or did it just trade much of the module space and weight for AEGIS and a small VLS?
ReplyDelete