The Phalanx CIWS has been in service with the Navy since the 1970s, and has received significant technological upgrades since then to improve its detection and target acquisition capabilities.
The US Navy awarded Raytheon a $205 million contract to make the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) even deadlier.
A futuristic-looking weapon, the Phalanx CIWS is a 20-millimeter cannon that can fire up to 4,500 rounds per minute. It is designed to defend warships at close ranges from missiles, aircraft, and drones.
Raytheon Is Improving the Navy’s “Last Line of Defense”
As part of the contract, Raytheon will provide upgrades, conversions, overhauls, and related equipment for the Phalanx CIWS.
“Phalanx is our Navy’s last line of defense, expertly designed to protect our sailors from the threats they face every day. Securing this contract underscores the trust the US Navy places in an absolutely critical system,” Barbara Borgonovi, president of Naval Power at Raytheon, said in a company press statement.
Raytheon expects the work to be done by 2029.
The Phalanx CIWS is a rapid-fire, computer-controlled, radar-guided gun designed for close quarters naval air defense. The weapon is centered around the 20 mm M61 Vulcan rotary cannon and an onboard radar. It is designed to take out close-in threats that have penetrated other layers of air defense around warships.
In many ways, the weapon system is the last thing standing between an incoming missile or drone and the warship it is targeting. Every surface combatant in the Navy carries at least one Phalanx CIWS, and the weapon system is also used in warships of at least 24 US allies and partners around the world.
The Phalanx CIWS has been in service with the Navy since the 1970s, and has received significant technological upgrades since then to improve its detection and target acquisition capabilities.
The Phalanx CIWS Saw Action Against the Houthis Near Yemen
The Phalanx CIWS has recently proven its worth in combat in a testing scenario.
In January 2024, the USS Gravely, an Arleigh Burke-class missile-guided destroyer, was sailing in the Red Sea as part of the operation to counter Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the region. At some point, a Houthi anti-ship missile targeted the US warship, reaching within one nautical mile of the destroyer. Moments before impact, however, the crew used the Phalanx CIWS to engage the incoming missile and shoot it down.
Though the Phalanx CIWS functioned as it should in that instance, the fact that it needed to be used at all raised concerns among naval planners. The fact that the Phalanx was needed suggests two separate problems. First, the missile-guided destroyer’s onboard systems should have detected the Houthi munition in time for more reliable weapons with longer range to be used. Second, the USS Gravely did in fact use other air defense systems, but these systems failed to shoot down the incoming missile in time. In short, though the CIWS functioned as designed, it highlighted vulnerabilities in other critical defensive systems.
Nevertheless, the weapon system proved its worth in actual combat and in a most challenging scenario. It is likely that this performance encouraged the Navy to award Raytheon a new contract intended to ensure that the “last line of defense” remains strong.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
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