Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!xanth!ukma!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!osu-cis!att!cbnews!jwm@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu
From: jwm@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu (James Wiley Mills Jr.)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: CIWS
Message-ID: <3403@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 24 Jan 89 02:49:33 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
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Approved: military@att.att.com


  
 
 

 In Henry Spencer's Reply to "ARE CARRIERS OBSOLETE ", Mr. Spencer writes"
 Most tests put CIWS close to the waterline...." First CIWS is installed on
 ships of the line tenders and support ships. All these mounts must undergo
 at least one official inspection each year (with live firings at a towed
 target.) On several classes of ships the mounts are not close to the
 waterline.. ie. BB-62 class, DDG-51 class(proposed) CG-47 class, FFG-7
 class all have their mounts on the superstructure from 35 to 100 feet above
 the waterline. Seems to me that the Navy wouldn't keep putting the mounts
 so far above the water if they we not effective.
    
 Second The average burst lenght is only 300 to 400 rounds giving each mount
 a best case capbility to counter up to 10 missiles. Since CIWS is CLOSE in
 weapons system it will not have time to empty it's ammo drum before impact
 if it is unable to destroy incoming missiles...
		  Jim Mills NCSU