- Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar
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Recent test-fire of a C-RAM. Balad, Iraq
Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar, abbreviated C-RAM or Counter-RAM, is a system used to detect and/or destroy incoming artillery, rockets and mortar rounds in the air before they hit their ground targets, or simply provide early warning.
C-RAM is effectively a land version of weapons such as the Phalanx CIWS radar controlled rapid-fire gun for close in protection of vessels from missiles.
Contents
Description
Land-Based Phalanx Weapon SystemC-RAM is an initiative taken in response to an operational needs statement made by the Multinational Force Iraq (MNF-I). The directive arose in response to the increasing number of casualties caused by attacks using rockets, artillery, and mortars in Iraq. The land-based Phalanx B was subsequently deployed in Iraq in the summer of 2005. It protects the Green Zone and Camp Victory in Baghdad, Logistics Support Area Anaconda in Balad, Iraq, and is also deployed by the British Army in southern Iraq.
Israel is considering buying the system to counter rocket attacks and defending point military installations. Each system costs $15 million, and uses a 20 mm M61A1 Gatling gun firing 3,000 or 4,500 M-246 or M-940 rounds per minute. The shells are fused to self-destruct in the air.[1][2]
Systems
- Operational
- Centurion: 20mm Phalanx Close-in weapon system, a land based variant of the US Navy's defense system;
- Iron Dome: an Israeli missile system featuring multiple target tracking and self-guided missile interceptors.
- In development or as yet undeployed
- MANTIS: 35mm fully automated C-RAM system, produced by Rheinmetall based on Oerlikon's Skyshield and ordered by the German Army for use from 2011
- an Active protection system, developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for anti-tank missile defense.
Development
Raytheon is developing a laser-based variation where low cost focused lasers will provide increased range and time-to-intercept over the gun. A proof of concept was demonstrated on a 60mm mortar round in 2006.[3]
Operators
- US Army
- United States Army Air Defense Artillery (ADA)
- C/5-5 ADA (Intercept Battery) out of Fort Lewis.
- 4-5 ADA (Sense and Warn Detachment) out of Fort Hood, Texas.
- 3-3 ADA out of Fort Bliss Texas.
- C/3-4 ADA (Intercept Battery) out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
- 473rd (Sense and Warn Detachment) out of Columbia, Tennessee.
- 2-44 ADA (Joint Intercept Battalion) out of Fort Campbell, KY
- A/5-5 ADA (Intercept Battery) out of Fort Lewis.
- HHB/5-5 ADA (JIB)out of Fort Lewis
- E/1-44 ADA out of Fort Bliss Texas
- Task Force 1-174th (C-RAM), Cincinnati, Ohio
- United States Army Air Defense Artillery (ADA)
- British Army
See also
References
- ^ CIWS now does surface targets Murdoc online, March 20, 2006
- ^ "Israel may buy rapid-fire cannon" Jerusalem Post. Dec 20, 2007
- ^ http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/a-laser-phalanx-03783/
- ^ "Royal Artillery Careers". Ministry of Defence. http://www.army.mod.uk/artillery/career/8020.aspx. "Other operational commitments are conducted (in the tertiary role) using C-RAM - a new and highly sensitive self defence system which destroys rockets and projectiles in flight. Applicable to Gunner Rapier applicants only."
External links
- Fort Bliss Monitor 3-3 ADA deploys, New unit ready for wartime mission, battalion leadership says
- GlobalSecurity.org's article on Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM)
- C-RAM Project, Fort Monmouth, C4ISTAR
- [1] Rheinmetall to Develop NBS C-RAM Weapon System
Categories:- Multinational force involved in the Iraq War
- Missile defense
- Anti-aircraft warfare
- Close-in weapon systems
- Military robots
- Raytheon products
- Artillery of the United States
- Land active protection systems
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