Goalkeeper CIWS: Short-Range Air Defense System (SHORAD)

Goalkeeper Close In Weapon System (CIWS) is a ship-mounted short-range air defense system (SHORAD) that combines a 30 mm, 7-barrel Gatling gun (GAU-8 Avenger) with special missile-piercing ammunition introduced in 1979. Goalkeeper is an autonomous and completely automatic weapon system for short-range defence of ships against highly maneuverable missiles, aircraft and fast-manoeuvering surface vessels. Once activated the system automatically undertakes the entire air defence process from surveillance and detection to destruction, including the selection of the next priority target. Goalkeeper is a joint project by Signaal and General Electric. The system automatically performs the entire process from surveillance and detection to destruction, including selection of the next priority target. Goalkeeper uses a dual radar system, an I-band track-while-scan search-and-acquisition set which hands off to a dual frequency L/K-band target-tracking radar for the actual gun engagement.This system can track up to thirty targets, engaging the four most urgent. It will minimize the salvo length to engage as many targets as possible and is thought to be able to deal with two pairs of sea-skimming missiles as little as five seconds apart. The General Electric (General Dynamics Armaments) 30 mm (1.2") GAU-8/A seven-barrel Gatling gun used by Signaal is also used for French close-in weapon systems, including SAMOS and Satan. It is perhaps most famously used on the US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt anti-tank aircraft. The 30x173mm cartridge has a greater projectile mass than the 20x102mm cartridge fired by the Phalanx CIWS M61 Vulcan, so it provides much greater destructive power with similar muzzle velocity but significantly increased range. Specifications : Mass : 6,372 kg (14,048 lb) with 1,190 rds of ammunition (above deck); 9,902 kg (21,830 lb) (total). Height : 3.71 m (above deck) 6.2 m (including deck penetration). Crew : Automated, with human oversight Shell : 30×173mm TP, HEI, MPDS, or FMPDS Caliber : 30 mm Barrels : 7-barrel (progressive RH parabolic twist, 14 grooves) Elevation +85 to −25 degrees at 80 degree/s Traverse : Unlimited Rate of fire : 70 rounds/second (4,200 rounds/minute) Muzzle velocity : 1,109 m/s (MPDS round) Effective firing range : -- 350 to between 1,500 and 2,000 metres dependent on ammunition Main armament : 1 x GAU-8/A Avenger 30 mm seven-barrel Gatling gun #Goalkeeper #CIWS #video ================== Copyright Disclaimer- Title 17, US Code (Sections 107-118 of the copyright law, Act 1976): All media in this video is used for purpose of review & commentary under terms of fair use. All footage, & images used belong to their respective companies. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.