Tag Archives: Phalanx Weapon System

The King of the Sea (Whiz)

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The Farragut-class guided missile destroyer leader USS King (DLG-10) is underway, circa 1973, with the prototype “Phalanx” close-in weapon system on her fantail for tests.

National Archives Catalog #: KN-21546

King, a 5,600-ton tin can, carried a twin Mark 10 Mod O launcher for Terrier/Standard-ER missiles rear with two directors and a Mark 16 matchbox launcher for ASROC/Harpoon forward. Her main gun was a Mk 42 5″/54. Commissioned with a pair of twin 3″/50 Mark 33 radar-directed guns in 1960, she shipped out with the prototype CIWS in 1973, taking up space on her VERTREP area over the stern.

That original system was a lot bulkier than what we know as Phalanx today.

“Phalanx” Close-In Weapon System shown ready for tests at Pomona, California. This automatic cruise missile defense weapon features the “Vulcan” 20mm gun, with a “Phalanx” fire control system and search and track radars. KN-20570

“Phalanx” Close-in Weapon System (Vulcan 20mm Gun) aboard USS King (DLG-13) for tests. Catalog #: K-102265

“Phalanx” Close-in Weapon System (Vulcan 20mm Gun) aboard USS King (DLG-13) for tests. Catalog #: K-102266

King would land her prototype CIWS in 1975, with the firing model fitted to the hulked WWII-era Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, USS Alfred A. Cunningham (DD-752), fresh off starring in Don Knotts’ ASW epic, The Incredible Mr. Limpet.

Decommissioned in 1971 and unmanned, ex-Cunningham was anchored off the California coast and used as a target with her CIWS turned on and allowed to do its thing while the fleet chucked almost two dozen Walleyes and Mavericks at the old tin can.

Cunningham’s wonder gun downed them all.

“Phalanx” Close-in Weapon System defeats a “Walleye” anti-ship weapon during recent realistic shipboard tests. Photo received July 1975. USN 1163564

Same as the above USN 1163569

Taking lessons learned, a pre-production CIWS was shipped out and installed on the Forrest Sherman-class destroyer USS Bigelow (DD-942) in 1977 for final sea trials.

USS Bigelow (DD-942) circa 1977 in the Mayport operating area showing her Vulcan Phalanx CIWS mounted forward of her aft turret.

The tests and evaluation were completed in a record five years. Phalanx Block 0 production started in 1978, and the system achieved IOC aboard USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) two years later.

However, the early marketing photos published in Jane’s showed the ordnance-killing mount on Cunningham and the installation on King.

With that, the gun has evolved through Block 1, Block 1 BL1, Block 1A, and Block 1B over the past several decades and just finally bagged its first for-real at sea “kill,” with the Burke-class USS Gravely (DDG-107) splashing a Houthi cruise missile via Phalanx recently.

As for King, she never did receive a production CIWS. Reclassified DDG-41 in 1975, she continued her career without it until she was decommissioned at the close of the Cold War on 28 March 1991.

A port view of the guided missile destroyer USS King (DDG-41) underway 6 May 1987. Photo by PH2 Clements DN-SC-88-06244.

Navy doubles down on CIWS

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Raytheon just picked up a decent-sized ($160 million) contract for modernizing its Phalanx Weapon System and assorted Mod 31 SeaRAM upgrade kits which ditch the 20mm gun and chutes for a 10-cell Rolling Airframe Launcher.

First fielded on the carrier USS Coral Sea in 1980, after trials and evaluation on the destroyers USS King and USS Bigelow in the 1970s, the platform is now pushing towards a half-century of service and the missiles it was designed to counter, Exocet and Styx/Silkworm, are long in the rearview.

The award:

Raytheon Co., Tucson, Arizona, was awarded a $159,900,991 firm-fixed-price contract for MK 15 Close-In Weapon System upgrades and conversions, system overhauls, MK 15 Mod 31 SeaRAM upgrade kits and conversions and associated hardware. Work will be performed in Louisville, Kentucky (27%); El Segundo, California (15%); Tucson, Arizona (14%); Williston, Vermont (6%); Tempe, Arizona (4%); Ottobrunn, Germany (3%); Mason, Ohio (3%); Andover, Massachusetts (2%); Joplin, Missouri (1%); Hauppauge, New York (1%); Miami, Florida (1%); Pomona, California (1%); Orchard Park, New York (1%); Radford, Virginia (1%); and various other locations each with less than 1% (20%), and is expected to be completed by October 2027. Fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $60,894,492 (41%); fiscal 2024 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $59,997,163 (40%); fiscal 2024 capital working funds Naval Supply Systems spares (Navy) in the amount of $12,997,835 (9%); fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $6,582,846 (4%); fiscal 2023 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,588,145 (3%); fiscal 2022 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,461,511 (2%); and fiscal 2024 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,048,997 (1%), will be obligated at time of award, of which $83,936,684 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C. is the contracting activity (N00024-24-C-5406). (Awarded July 30, 2024)