Scott Nicholas
Raytheon has tested an updated electric gun that will be integrated on a company-built radar-guided weapon system against ballistic missiles as part of a series of “tech refresh” projects.
The company said Tuesday the updates to the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System were implemented to help sailors and soldiers fire weapons at varying rates and consume less ammunition.
Phalanx uses a computer-controlled radar and a 20-millimeter gun designed to automatically acquire, track and engage enemy threats.
The live-fire tests demonstrated the system’s operational capacity as well as design modifications that include replacements to the Phalanx pneumatic motor, compressor and storage tanks, Raytheon noted.
