30x113 mm Compact Autocannons for Short Range Defense of the Warships
The events that occurred in the Black Sea over the last year, as well as in the Red Sea in the recent months, have highlighted the increasing threat of kamikaze drones (both air and surface) to warships of all sizes.
30x113 mm Compact Autocannons for Short Range Defense of the Warships
The events that occurred in the Black Sea over the last year, as well as in the Red Sea in the recent months, have highlighted the increasing threat of kamikaze drones (both air and surface) to warships of all sizes. This has led to a need for a new approach in the onboard weapon systems that serve as the defense layers of these ships. It seems that 30x113mm high rate of fire, compact automatic cannons will play an important role in this new approach.
Unmanned fireships were regularly used by navies for ages, as they were simple, cheap, and once released, would presumably reach the enemy's ships under the influence of the winds and currents, to hit them and start a fire. However, to see the explosive-laden ship with terrifying destructiveness and psychological effects, it was necessary to wait until 1585, for the “hell burners” or “machinas de minas” designed and used by an Italian engineer named Federico Gianibelli, to break the siege of Antwerp. Although the frightening effect of the explosives was far greater than the conventional fire hazard posed by fireships, these unmanned boats too could not be controlled beyond relying on the weather and sea conditions after being released and hoping that they would hit the target(s). The lack of control over these powerful weapons was the main reason why the use of these assets in naval warfare remained very limited in the following centuries. The emergence of the possibility of remote control of explosive-laden boats through radio/electric signals at the beginning of the 20th century sparked a new interest in these unmanned weapons. Although German and Italian designs produced during the 1st and 2nd World Wars were of limited effectiveness, the developing technologies since then made these assets ready for use in line with the conditions in the conduct of both conventional and asymmetrical warfare.
Today, as shown by the successful attacks against Russian Black Sea Fleet ships, bases and critical infrastructures with remote-controlled explosive-laden unmanned surface vehicles developed by the Ukrainian intelligence (SBU) and military intelligence (HUR), swarms formed by 6 to 9 vessels, 5-6 meter long, fast, low profile unmanned surface vehicles (USV) carrying around 300 kg of explosives pose a significant threat to those warships whose close defenses are not adapted to this kind of kamikaze attacks.
As UAVs/drones/loitering munitions become widespread as a tool of naval warfare in addition to kamikaze unmanned surface vehicles, chances of conducting an effective “saturation attack” on the surface combatants increase. A scenario where an attack is being carried out by a coordinated use of a large number of cheap USVs, UAVs/drones, and a few anti-ship missiles has become very plausible and within the reach of many States and non-state actors. The attacks against naval and merchant vessels in the Red Sea in recent months confirm this assessment. Therefore, ship close defenses also need to be reshaped against coordinated attacks with such a wide range of capabilities and a previously unimaginable number of weapon systems. In this new concept where RCWSs equipped with 30x113mm high rate of fire autocannons with an independent electro-optical system replace/complement ship’s last layer of defense formed by HMGs and MMGs in order to keep the ship’s CIWS free to engage high-level threats (like ASM). Due to the effectiveness of various HE based ammunitions and high-rate of fire of 30x113mm revolver autocannons like Venom LR, these systems will produce neutralizing effects on unmanned targets quicker compared to machine guns. There is no doubt that these fast-firing guns are ideal systems to effectively eliminate the lower-level leg of a saturation attack, consisting of swarms of air and surface kamikaze drones, from a distance of 2000 meters from the ship.
In an era when autonomous weapon systems with artificial intelligence are increasingly being used and thus the effectiveness of electronic warfare is decreasing, the neutralization of the target through kinetic effect remains the only alternative in defense. 30x113mm classical ammunition based on high explosive/fragmentation/incendiary effect is much more effective in destroying (K-Kill) and disabling (M-Kill) kamikaze USVs than machine gun bullets, while proximity fuse ammunition is way more effective against moving UAVs/loitering munitions.
It is evident that 30x113mm autocannons are the most effective solution for naval vessels' last layer of defense against kamikaze drones, until efficient and dependable laser systems are developed and deployed.
The events that occurred in the Black Sea over the last year, as well as in the Red Sea in the recent months, have highlighted the increasing threat of kamikaze drones (both air and surface) to warships of all sizes. This has led to a need for a new approach in the onboard weapon systems that serve as the defense layers of these ships. It seems that 30x113mm high rate of fire, compact automatic cannons will play an important role in this new approach.
Unmanned fireships were regularly used by navies for ages, as they were simple, cheap, and once released, would presumably reach the enemy's ships under the influence of the winds and currents, to hit them and start a fire. However, to see the explosive-laden ship with terrifying destructiveness and psychological effects, it was necessary to wait until 1585, for the “hell burners” or “machinas de minas” designed and used by an Italian engineer named Federico Gianibelli, to break the siege of Antwerp. Although the frightening effect of the explosives was far greater than the conventional fire hazard posed by fireships, these unmanned boats too could not be controlled beyond relying on the weather and sea conditions after being released and hoping that they would hit the target(s). The lack of control over these powerful weapons was the main reason why the use of these assets in naval warfare remained very limited in the following centuries. The emergence of the possibility of remote control of explosive-laden boats through radio/electric signals at the beginning of the 20th century sparked a new interest in these unmanned weapons. Although German and Italian designs produced during the 1st and 2nd World Wars were of limited effectiveness, the developing technologies since then made these assets ready for use in line with the conditions in the conduct of both conventional and asymmetrical warfare.
Today, as shown by the successful attacks against Russian Black Sea Fleet ships, bases and critical infrastructures with remote-controlled explosive-laden unmanned surface vehicles developed by the Ukrainian intelligence (SBU) and military intelligence (HUR), swarms formed by 6 to 9 vessels, 5-6 meter long, fast, low profile unmanned surface vehicles (USV) carrying around 300 kg of explosives pose a significant threat to those warships whose close defenses are not adapted to this kind of kamikaze attacks.
As UAVs/drones/loitering munitions become widespread as a tool of naval warfare in addition to kamikaze unmanned surface vehicles, chances of conducting an effective “saturation attack” on the surface combatants increase. A scenario where an attack is being carried out by a coordinated use of a large number of cheap USVs, UAVs/drones, and a few anti-ship missiles has become very plausible and within the reach of many States and non-state actors. The attacks against naval and merchant vessels in the Red Sea in recent months confirm this assessment. Therefore, ship close defenses also need to be reshaped against coordinated attacks with such a wide range of capabilities and a previously unimaginable number of weapon systems. In this new concept where RCWSs equipped with 30x113mm high rate of fire autocannons with an independent electro-optical system replace/complement ship’s last layer of defense formed by HMGs and MMGs in order to keep the ship’s CIWS free to engage high-level threats (like ASM). Due to the effectiveness of various HE based ammunitions and high-rate of fire of 30x113mm revolver autocannons like Venom LR, these systems will produce neutralizing effects on unmanned targets quicker compared to machine guns. There is no doubt that these fast-firing guns are ideal systems to effectively eliminate the lower-level leg of a saturation attack, consisting of swarms of air and surface kamikaze drones, from a distance of 2000 meters from the ship.
In an era when autonomous weapon systems with artificial intelligence are increasingly being used and thus the effectiveness of electronic warfare is decreasing, the neutralization of the target through kinetic effect remains the only alternative in defense. 30x113mm classical ammunition based on high explosive/fragmentation/incendiary effect is much more effective in destroying (K-Kill) and disabling (M-Kill) kamikaze USVs than machine gun bullets, while proximity fuse ammunition is way more effective against moving UAVs/loitering munitions.
It is evident that 30x113mm autocannons are the most effective solution for naval vessels' last layer of defense against kamikaze drones, until efficient and dependable laser systems are developed and deployed.
