Julian Kerr | Sydney
Government approval has been received to install up to three Phalanx 20mm Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS) on both of the RAN’s 27,500 tonne Canberra class Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs).
Commodore Rob Elliott, Director General Surface Combatants and Aviation within Navy’s Strategic Command, told ADM that the number of mounts depended on final design and radar cross-section analysis and installation was unlikely to begin until 2018 at the earliest.
This is the anticipated date for the return from the US of the first of the RAN’s current inventory of 12 Phalanx mounts after being upgraded to the Block 1B Baseline 2 configuration.
"The number of mounts will depend on final design and radar cross-section analysis."
Three Phalanx Block IB Baseline 1 mounts are already in Australia awaiting installation on the three under-construction Hobart class air warfare destroyers (AWDs).
Of nine Block 1A Baseline 0 mounts awaiting overhaul and upgrade to the Block 1B Baseline 2 standard, six are destined for the LHDs, one for the Land Ship Dock HMAS Choules, and one each for the two auxiliary oiler and replenishment vessels (AOR) ordered from Spanish shipbuilder Navantia in March 2016.
CDRE Elliott said the AWDs would be delivered fitted with Phalanx Block 1B Baseline 1. Upgraded Block 1B Baseline 2 mounts would be installed post-delivery.
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The Block 1B Baseline 1 standard introduced a high-definition electro-optical (EO) channel to complement the Ku-band search and track radars, together with a separate video tracker to support surface mode tracking and fire-control generation.
The Block 1B Baseline 2 configuration introduced a digital hardware upgrade for the search and tracking radars that improves the short-range air radar picture.
CDRE Elliott said two additional Block 1B Baseline 2 mounts would be procured at a later date as part of Project Sea 1654 (Maritime Operational Support Capability) to inform the self-defence capability requirements for the RAN’s Future Frigate program.
The decision to equip the LHDs with a higher level of CIWS capability has been long anticipated, given that the self-defence capabilities for these large and important assets are presently limited to four 25mm Typhoon remotely-controlled weapon systems.
Whilst effective against asymmetric attack, the Typhoons are unlikely to be capable of dealing with any anti-ship guided missiles that penetrate the defensive screen thrown up by the LHDs’ escorts.