"Joe" wrote in message
ups.com...

Gilligan wrote:
"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...

How's about the Phalanx
.
A "last line of defense" for ships, the Phalanx is a rapid-fire,
computer-controlled radar and 20-millimeter gun system that can
automatically track and destroy close-range enemy threats such as
low-flying cruise missiles, small boats and helicopters. Since 1979,
more than 850 Phalanx systems have been built and deployed in the
navies of 22 allied nations, Raytheon says.

Firing 3,000 to 4,500 armor-piercing rounds per minute, the Phalanx was
battle-tested by the British during the Falklands War. The advanced
Phalanx 1B version includes advanced Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR)
and beefier gun barrels.


http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id344.htm

Yeah, it was the iranians plot, and fault.

http://www.navybook.com/nohigherhonor/



First you have to turn the Phalanx on. It has a warm up time.

http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/...be-phalanx.jpg

Maybe in antarticia, but the radar is allready scanning in CIC. You
would think it would be ideal for drones, true they are an under used
weapon but I here the Army is mounting them on trailors and setting
them up to take out mortar rounds in Iraq. Only problem is the huge
coulds of AP rounds have to land somewhere.

Watch and listen(headphones cranked up), takes a few seconds for the
sound to reach these good ol boys. Sounds like dragons roaring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESw9gqQnJ_0

Joe


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalanx_CIWS

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/weaps/mk-15.htm

The radar on the Phalanx operates independent of CIC. The Phalanx is
intended to be an automatic defense system as reaction time for incoming
missiles is very short. Recent upgrades to the system do allow for targeting
control from CIC. Running the system continuously increases the maintenance
costs and the mandatory down time of the system. Most ships only turn on the
system when necessary.

It is unfortunate that you spent your naval career aboard such a low
priority target that it wasn't even considered for a Phalanx system, let
alone any gun system that required a fixed mount.