U.S. Navy Fact Sheet

MK 15 - Phalanx Close-In Weapons System (CIWS)

Description
Fast-reaction, detect-through-engage, radar guided, 20-millimeter gun weapon system.

Features
MK 15 Phalanx CIWS provides ships of the U.S. Navy with an inner layer point defense capability against Anti Ship Missiles (ASM), aircraft, and littoral warfare threats that have penetrated other fleet defenses. Phalanx automatically detects, evaluates, tracks, engages, and performs kill assessment against ASM and high speed aircraft threats. The current Phalanx variant (Block 1B) adds the ability to counter asymmetric warfare threats through the addition of an integrated, stabilized, Electro Optic sensor. These improvements give Phalanx the added ability to counter small high speed surface craft, aircraft, helicopters, and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). Phalanx is the only deployed close-in weapon system capable of autonomously performing its own search, detect, evaluation, track, engage and kill assessment functions. Phalanx also can be integrated into existing ship combat control systems to provide additional sensor and fire-control support to other installed ship weapon systems.

Background
Phalanx production started in 1978 with the Block 0 configuration, and was first installed in 1980 on the USS Coral Sea. The Block 1 configuration was installed on USS Wisconsin in 1988. The first Block 1B installation was on board the USS Underwood in 1999. The Phalanx program has had an active and continuous production, upgrade, and overhaul program since 1978.