The Phalanx CIWS

Not too long ago, i was watching Battle 360 on the History Channel. It was reviewing a Naval Battle involving the Japanese Naval Fleet and the US Pacific Fleet which had the USS HOrnet and USS Enterprise.

The programme illustrated the Japanese Coordinated attack of few hundred bomber and fighter planes against the US Naval Fleet.

It got my mind thinking that sincne WW2, the fleets of the world have been decreasing as each ship cost more than it used to be. This is also due to the higher technology each ship possessed.

Last Time, u see ships ladened with macine guns and cannons and their deck cannons. The Common warship had gun power all over its deck.

Now you dun see much guns on each ship as they were before. So what makes the Modern Day Warship for superior in technology if the same fleet or even less ship took on 350 Mitsubishi Zero Fighters?

I can safely say that with regards to the Destroyers and Cruisers of the US Fleet that are armed with the Aegis System, they can lock on multiple targets and exert their Anti-Air SM-2MR Missiles which will be very deadly to at least a big stream of fighters before they even got to visual range. The Ticonderoga Cruiser can armed itself with 122 of such missiles.

Assuming there is a kill rate of 90%. It takes out at least 1/3 of the entire air fleet.

Not forgeting that once the planes are in visual range, they will face the Phalanx CIWS which has around 9km range attack and contains a 20 mm M61 Vulcan Gatling gun autocannon.
Only problem with the CIWS is it does not possess the Identification of Friend or Foe feature (IFF), which has caused a number of Blue on Blue incidents.


Phalanx CIWS on the DSS Lake, a Ticonderoga VLS Class Cruiser