A close-in weapons system during a live-fire practice by a guided-missile cruiser in November. MC2 Malachi Lakey/US Navy© MC2 Malachi Lakey/US Navy
Posted on 02/01/2024 3:23:58 AM PST by dennisw
A Houthi missile recently put a US destroyer's close-in weapons system to the test, a report said. A warship's CIWS is usually considered its last line of defense and is for close-range intercepts. The Tuesday incident marks the latest Houthi missile attack, though not the latest exchange of fire. A Houthi anti-ship cruise missile fired into the Red Sea came within a mile of a US Navy destroyer on Tuesday, a report said, close enough that the American warship turned to its close-in weapons system — a last line of defense.
Most missiles are shot down farther out. This was the closest that a Houthi attack had come to an American warship, four US officials told CNN, which reported additional details of the incident on Wednesday. US Central Command initially said on Tuesday that around 11:30 p.m. local time, the Houthis fired a single anti-ship cruise missile from Yemen toward the Red Sea, and it was shot down by USS Gravely.
For several months, the Iran-backed rebels have relentlessly fired one-way attack drones and missiles into key waterways off the coast of Yemen. Many of these threats have been shot down by US warships — and sometimes by British or French forces No warships have been struck.
US Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are equipped with at least one CIWS, which features a close-range, radar-guided automatic 20 mm cannon that can fire up to 4,500 rounds a minute and has an effective range out to about two nautical miles.
Before a ship's CIWS is engaged, capabilities such as the warship's SM-2 or SM-3 interceptors come into play. These are fired from vertical-launch-system cells before they then intercept and destroy airborne threats. An SM-3 "hits threats with the force of a 10-ton truck traveling 600 mph," according to Raytheon, the weapon's manufacturer.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Hey, just “Don’t, Don’t, Don’t”
We better have our best commanders there. None of these tugboat Annies that the USN is full of. One was fired last week because she was a semi-psycho and hurt the other girls’ feelings. (Women under her command)
Phalanx CIWS I assume? Modern day gatling gun. A Engineer buddy of mine worked on the development back in 1980 /90’s or there about. I believe at General Dynamics
These Houthi pests missile batteries might as well be operated by Iran. Either by remote link or by Iranians miliary who are physically in Houthi—Land.
These are serious anti-shipping missiles. That I don’t think Houthi know how to operate. At minimum Iran is doing the tracking and targeting for these Houthi missiles.
The IRGC are on the ground in Yemen
“In other words, the protective system worked as designed.”
IOW the last layer of defense destroyed the missile. The two layers before it missed the Iranian missile. What are those two layers? Freepers please fill us in.
Seems like the E-2 who pressed the ‘on-button’ ought to get a medal. (Air Force officers would already be writing the medal package 30 minutes after the event)
Thanks! So Houthis missiles are actually launched from what in effect is an Iranian base there. The Houthi dumbasses are not capable on their own.
Is that like a GE Mini gun?
The cost effective solution is carpet bombing the launch sites and support facilities. But it is too politically unpalatable.
“So Houthis missiles are actually launched from what in effect is an Iranian base there.”
Yes. I assume (tho I probably shouldn’t) that it’s one of the targets for the Admin’s retaliation strike.
I can hope, anyway.
There is no threat of retaliation. Therefore there’s no reason why these iranians should stop firing these weapons at our assets. The Briben administration is funding the attacks with Oil revenues and direct payments. So the briben administration’s foreign policy is to fund both sides of the conflict. It’s like the democrats are deliberately depleting and offering live demonstrations of american defensive capabilities. They’re teaching the mullahs how to kill americans. Someone’s going to get hurt here and the democrats will blame the muslims, or trump, or both. But they will definitely not say a thing about their stupid foreign policies.
The mini-gun's much bigger brother. Radar and computer controlled, I rather doubt that you could make it miss.
CIWIS should be set up on our Southern border and employed daily.
The fact the ship had to engage it as a last resort is a failure on the Commander. Not surprised though in today’s military.
The time frame for engaging the CIWS on an incoming cruise missile must be tiny indeed with that 2 nautical mile range and the speed of a cruise missile on final approach. Not much time for “pucker factor” to occur on crew there waiting and watching it happen.
I wonder how our last-ditch anti-ship missiles will do when it’s 10 missiles coming in, rather than one missile...
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