Posted on 03/25/2008 9:16:00 AM PDT by klpt
FOB BASE KALSU, Iraq: A Phalanx Gatling gun, most often used by naval ships to defend against incoming missiles and rockets, has been installed at Forward Operating Base Kalsu in Iraq to add a little extra punch to the base's defense system.
The gun, modified to be land-based, was installed in late February. It looks like an R2 unit from Star Wars, but unlike the little astromech droid, this gun packs a punch.
Although very complex -- having the ability to destroy incoming artillery, rocket and mortar rounds in the air before they hit their targets on the ground -- the gun is still only as good as the Soldiers manning the defense system. The Soldiers upon whom this task falls are from Battery A, 5/5 Air Defense Artillery, 2nd Infantry Division.
As the only Army counter-rocket, artillery and mortar Intercept Battery deployed in Iraq, the job was a natural fit for the air defense Soldiers. Still, preparing for the mission was a time-consuming process, one which involved preparing the new gun site and coordinating its arrival with the necessary logistical support.
Many other agencies, including Multi-National Corps-Iraq and the base Mayor's Cell, got involved, helping streamline the process. It was amazing how the different agencies came together to cut a lot of the red tape," said Capt. Andrew Cornwell, 5/5 ADA commander.
The help allowed the group to complete all the necessary preparation work before the gun arrived. Preparation involved placing more than 50 T-walls to secure the area, the construction of a guard shack and running power and fiber optics to the gun site.
"I'm surprised at how fast the fiber got laid and was ready to go," said Staff Sgt. Paul Yuhas, Battery A shift noncommissioned officer.
Although the task of preparing and installing the gun is complete, there is still a lot left to be done by the Battery A Soldiers. The responsibility of manning the gun station will fall on these Soldiers for the remainder of their deployment.
Still, the protection provided by the gun to Soldiers and civilians living on the base is enough motivation for them to continue to do their job and show the Air Defense Branch's commitment and key fighting position in Iraq.
I wonder how many Ruskie weapons techs were part of the air-crew on that flight and what they learned and what they did to it?
The son of one of my 1`coworkers is stationed at FOB Kalsu.
Terrorists tend to like when we inadvertently kill civilians while shooting at the terrorist. Or in this case, at the incoming mortar, etc.
As a life-long Buffalo Bills fan, I would be remiss if I didn’t post ...
“FOB Kalsu, named in honor of First Lieutenant James Robert Kalsu, a Buffalo Bills defensive lineman killed in Vietnam on 21 July 1970.”
AH yes, the ill-fated Sgt York System.
The ADEWS (think, SLC-32 on a stick) part had to have been the worlds largest bullet magnet.
Working in a 500KW (ERP) emitter on a modern battlefield is a death sentance.
Gory bastard that I am, I can’t help wondering if it’s been modified to use against human wave attacks (and what that would be like), instead of exclusively against incoming missiles, rockets, artillery, etc? Can an operator take manual control of the Phalanx and use it against ground forces? It’d be a primo prize if the jihadis could capture it or destroy it, as unlikely as that would seem to be.
The Israelis figured that out a lonnnng time ago, even back in the days when they adapted AGM-45 Shrike HARM missiles for ground launch and fitted them on the back of obsolete Sherman tank carriers.
Of course, tank crews who used their Zenon IR searchlights for target designation during nighttime tank gun fights didn't do much better, the Israelis being among the first to remove the ones aboard their tanks after they learned the lesson in the 1973 Yom Kippur war.
“That thing puts out a lot of lead “
Actually spent uranium. MMmmmm!
The CWIS system tracks the incoming arget and it’s own bullets. Bringing the two electronic tracks together gives extreme acuracy.
Yes. At least the ones on the track-mounted M163 could.
Can an operator take manual control of the Phalanx and use it against ground forces?
The Navy may have some differing engagement rules, but I'm sure they could find a Marine or two around to figure out such a neat use for the thing.
It’d be a primo prize if the jihadis could capture it or destroy it, as unlikely as that would seem to be.
Even better: think of indirect fire, fired at an angle up into the air at a 30º-45º angle upwards, since what goes up must come back down...and the mix of 20mm rounds will almost certainly incluse some nice high explosive rounds among the novelties.
During the Korean and Vietnam Wars, this was sometimes done with the quad-gun .50 caliber mount on deuce-and-a-half trucks and leftover WWII halftracks, and was known as *H&I fire* for Harassing and Interdiction, nicely useful around the mountain passes and bridge choke points of that theatre. Using three ground-mount guns gives a nice effect of around 35 shots per second, with 250 rounds per gun, 400 each if some 5-gallon cans are modified into lkarger .50 ammo cans. If the faster M3 aircraft guns are used, the rate's more like 60-90 shots per second, about a six-second burst before the guns run empty.
Being as the guns are miles away from the impact zone, the first warning the recipients get are the whistle through the air of hundreds of incoming .50 rounds and, perhaps, the first impacts into the ground or nearby targets until one falls somewhere between the ears of the recipient. Taking cover in vehicles does not help a bit, and the infantryman's usual habit of falling prone on the ground is counterproductive in this case.
The Navy Vulcan CWIS used in such a role could offer very nice H&I fire of the sort, indeed, harassing and interdicting the mujis into little pieces not much bigger than your hand. The WWII and Korean vets who fired and saw such missions with the Quad Fifties called them *meatgrinders.* And, as you say, they're handy for direct fire, too.
Is this the former World Chess Champion?
Great reply. Very informative and illuminating. Entertaining too, thanks (told ‘ya I was gory)! :-)
LOL
Shrike on a stick...
Cool idea - have to give it the IAF/IGF - they think outside the box...
I recall seeing a demo at Ft. Knox back in 1985. The sled was very low to the ground an capable of some pretty cool pivot steer. The driver was way up front in a near recline and the gun was fully exposed.
There was a mating of the remote gun setup of an M114A1E1 recon vehicle with the chassis of the amphibious M520 GOER 4x4 truck, most of which wound up in the hands of the Mexican Army. Other automotive platforms, including the 6x6 M561 GamaGoat were also tried, and I'd bet that there also some foreign 8x8 variants in the mix. We were really playing with some odd stuff back around that time, including a 4-tank section of Swedsh STRV-103 *S-Tanks* at Ft Knox.
Would that have been the SGT. York gun system?
The good news for the crew inside the turret of a tank is that the muzzle of the main gun is outside when it goes off, though only three or four meters outside. Nevertheless, if the hatches are open and you're wearing a helmet liner instead of a treadhead's CVC helmet, the suction will pull it right off your head.
And, of course, the bad news is that when the gun breech opens and throws the fired case out, it's right there in the turret with you, and you're trying, TRYING to get a follow-up shot off as fast as possible. Fire! ON THE WAY! BOOM!
Suffice to say, it was a life long handicap. I frequently had to repeat things as I was growing up. I was never sure whether his misunderstanding of something I said was purposeful mocking or really a hearing problem.
What? BTW, with my old man, it was the roar of four 14-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radials aboard the B24s of his Eighth Air Force days that pretty well did his ears in. He figured it was a pretty good trade for not being burned alive in one of those firetraps.
Yeppers. the vehicle designation was the M247, finally cancelled in 1985.
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