LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Raytheon [RTN] is redesigning the common mount for its Phalanx and SeaRAM close-in weapon systems as part of a technology refresh effort, according to company officials.
The mount for Phalanx and SeaRAM does more than just hold the Phalanx 20mm gun or SeaRAM’s 11-missile RAM system launcher assembly. It is a completely self-contained system, with search radar, track radar, power supplies and cooling capabilities, in addition to shooting the gun or missiles, according to company Close-In Defense Solutions Director Rick McDonnell.
Raytheon Senior Program Manager for Close-In Defense Solutions Matt Button told reporters Monday here at the company’s manufacturing facility that the goal is to drop weight, add potential sensors, bring the electronics suite into the 21st century and bring more situational awareness to the mount, which is shared by Phalanx and SeaRAM. Raytheon, he said, has been performing risk reduction activities on a redesigned mount and has even built a demonstration mount.
Mike Schnaible, a company official representing naval and area mission defense business development, said the tech refresh would also redesign the system and make it more capable with better radar systems and power supplies with reduced weight. McDonnell said another Raytheon goal with the mount redesign would be to retrofit older ships.
Button added that Raytheon was looking at bringing an electric gun to Phalanx, but he didn’t say if this was part of the mount’s tech refresh effort. The Phalanx gun is currently pneumatically driven, which means driven by air or gas. Phalanx and SeaRAM are about 85 percent common, except for the gun, according to a Raytheon official.
Raytheon is set to receive money from the Navy for this effort starting in fiscal year 2017. Schnaible said Raytheon would receive $18 million per year through the five-year fiscal years defense program (FYDP) and a total of $90 million throughout the entire FYDP. Schnaible also said the company was spending its own money to buy down some risk on the development. McDonnell said that a potential long-term continuing resolution (CR) for FY ’17 could slow down Raytheon’s mount redesign effort.