Chinese Experimental CIWS

[RAP]

Meanwhile, in China, Engineers Built a 20-Barrel Gatling Gun

 

[sferrin]

 

[TomS]

Meanwhile, in China, Engineers Built a 20-Barrel Gatling Gun

While other navies are learning that high-ROF dumb projectiles are a suboptimal solution to the point-defense task, and are largely switching to missiles or guided gun rounds. (Actually, the PLAN is learning that as well, since it has what appears to be a RAM equivalent in HHQ-10).

So, this is an interesting engineering exercise, but ultimately a dead end.

 

[dannydale]

I'm not exactly sure what twenty barrels would do that four five-barrel or three and a half six-barrel weapons couldn't. It's an interesting answer to the PD Question, for sure.

 

[riggerrob]

How many seconds does it take to "spin up" a 20-barrel Gatling Gun?

 

[aim9xray]

Approximately 3x longer engagements, or 3x more short engagements before the barrels reach temperature or life/wear limits?

 

[sferrin]

Approximately 3x longer engagements, or 3x more short engagements before the barrels reach temperature or life/wear limits?

But do existing systems even have enough ammo on hand for that to be an issue?

 

[sferrin]

If it was Russian it would have a missile launcher in the middle of the barrels.

 

[TomS]

BTW, the source article doesn't make it totally clear that this gun actually fires two barrels in tandem, one at the top of the barrel group and another at the bottom.

So it's only achieving about 30-40% more "time between shots" compared to 6- or 7-barrel Gatlings at the same RPMs.

 

[dannydale]

I was just wondering about multiple firing points on the cycle anyway. That's the only reason I can think up to build something with this many barrels.

 

[TomS]

I was just wondering about multiple firing points on the cycle anyway. That's the only reason I can think up to build something with this many barrels.

But it means that there are at least some failure points that prevent both barrels from firing -- the rotator mechanism, certain kinds of jams (failure to extract in particular), etc. Seems like two guns would be more reliable on balance and unlikely to weigh much more.

Like I said, an engineering exercise, not a practical system.

 

[Grey Havoc]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtIUpkhCY88

 

[DWG]

China's already updated that Goalkeeper lookalike* at least once, from the PJ-12 with 7 barrels and 4100rpm (2004) to the PJ-11 with 11 barrels and 9000 rpm (2012). I do wonder if they're not already at the point of diminishing returns - any increase in speed putting rounds on target being countered by the greater mass to be slewed.

* Apparently it's actually based on the French SAMOS, which was itself based on the GE EX-83.

 

[TomS]

China's already updated that Goalkeeper lookalike* at least once, from the PJ-12 with 7 barrels and 4100rpm (2004) to the PJ-11 with 11 barrels and 9000 rpm (2012). I do wonder if they're not already at the point of diminishing returns - any increase in speed putting rounds on target being countered by the greater mass to be slewed.

* Apparently it's actually based on the French SAMOS, which was itself based on the GE EX-83.

Goalkeeper and SAMOS (and SATAN) all used the EX-83 mount, just with different sensors/fire control.

 

[Colonial-Marine]

I've always liked the use of the GAU-8 as a CIWS as in Goalkeeper but when you reach the point where you feel you need 20 barrels to defeat incoming missiles it may be time to look at a different solution than simply increasing the rate of fire.

 

[cattalonX]

Новый эксперимент Китая: 20-ствольная артиллерийская установка

Слайд презентации с фото из сборочного цеха Китай продолжает необычные и удивительные эксперименты в области вооружений. Недавно была построена и испытана опытная артиллерийская установка с вращающимся блоком из 20 стволов малого калибра. О ней пока известно крайне мало, но и доступные данные

topwar.ru

These photos have been around for a few days，but，No one posted another design that is unbuilt·····
As those Russians think it’s better, two Gatlings are connected in parallel

 

[Dilandu]

The advantages of having one 20-gun over two 10-barrel are mainly in the mount: with just one gun, you do not need to take parallax into account (like on AK-630, which have one director station controlling two gun turrets), and the mount is not destabilized by side-placed guns recoil (like it would be with two guns on sides of one mount).

 

[Boer van Seven]

Interesting! There is an article about it in Chinese,but I failed to open it---404 not found...
And I even don't know the news...

 

[MihoshiK]

I've always liked the use of the GAU-8 as a CIWS as in Goalkeeper but when you reach the point where you feel you need 20 barrels to defeat incoming missiles it may be time to look at a different solution than simply increasing the rate of fire.

Nonsense, any minute now the Chinese are going to adapt Metal Storm as a solution. One million rounds per minute!

 

[GruntFox]

I've always liked the use of the GAU-8 as a CIWS as in Goalkeeper but when you reach the point where you feel you need 20 barrels to defeat incoming missiles it may be time to look at a different solution than simply increasing the rate of fire.

Nonsense, any minute now the Chinese are going to adapt Metal Storm as a solution. One million rounds per minute!

Actually, Metal Storm is best used as a grenade launcher alternative than a PD or mortar alternative. The 3GL is the prototype for the most likely situation that would be implemented in the coming years.