General Information Weapons of all types are needed for the amphibious assault. These weapons systems range from those used shore bombardment to the personal weapons carried by the Marines and Sailors on the beach. This section will provide general information about many of the weapons used during the amphibious operation. This section is divided into three sub sections: shipboard weapons systems, crew served infantry weapons systems and individual infantry weapons systems.
Shipboard Weapons Systems Shipboard weapons systems are used to provide shore bombardment and gunfire support before and during the assault. These systems are also used to defend the ship against air and surface attack.
MK-12 – 5”/38 cal. Multipurpose Naval Gun. This five-inch thirty-eight caliber gun is one of the earlier naval guns used as primary armament on destroyers in the Second World War and as a secondary battery aboard cruisers and battleships. It was decided to equip cruisers and battleships with the smaller guns to achieve a "gun for the job" capability instead of having to fire an eight, twelve, or sixteen-inch main battery round at a torpedo boat. The Mark 12 gun fires two basic rounds; an anti-aircraft Common (AAC) and an HE/HC surface and shore bombardment projectile. The round is semi-fixed with a 54-pound projectile and a 28-pound shell case, which includes a 15-pound powder charge. A less frequently used but extremely useful shell is the star shell used to illuminate the battlefield. The mounting is the Mark 28 twin gun mount, so designated because both guns use a common elevating gear and power drive. The large variety of projectiles and high rate of fire helps make the Mark 12 5in/38 cal dual mount gun one of the most flexible gun systems ever mounted on a United States warship. The Mk12 is capable of firing 22 rounds per minute and has a range of 15,570 yards.
Mark 45 ~ 5-inch, 54-caliber lightweight gun. The 54-caliber (Mk 45) lightweight gun provides surface combatants accurate naval gunfire against fast, highly maneuverable surface targets, air threats and shore targets during amphibious operations. This lightweight gun system offers significant improvements in reliability and maintainability over the 54-caliber Mk 42 gun systems. Either the Mk 86 Gun Fire Control System or the Mk 160 Gun Computing System controls the Mk 45. The Mk45 is magazine fed, with a capacity of 475 to 500 rounds per magazine. It is capable of firing 16-20 rounds a minute and has a range of 13 nautical miles.
RIM-116A Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM). The RIM-116A Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) is a lightweight quick-reaction high-firepower anti-ship weapon system jointly developed by the U.S. and German governments. Currently developed as a Block O-type RAM and Block 1-type RAM, the RAMs will be an added asset. It is currently installed, or planned for installation, on 83 U.S. Navy and 28 German Navy ships. The RIM-116A RAM is designed as an all-weather, high-firepower, low-cost, self-defense system against anti-ship missiles. It uses the infrared seeking of the Stinger missile and the warhead, rocket motor, and fuse from the Sidewinder missile. Due to its high-tech radio-to-infrared frequency guidance system, it requires no shipboard support after the missile is launched. It is deployed aboard LHA/LHD, LPD, FFG, DD/DDGs.
Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile. The RIM-7M is a highly maneuverable air-to-air missile with surface-to-air and emergency surface-to-surface capability. The Navy's RIM-7MEvolved Sea Sparrow and the Air Force's AIM-7 Sparrow are radar-guided, air-to-air missiles with high explosive warheads. They have a cylindrical body with four wings at mid-body and four tail fins. The Navy uses the Evolved Sea Sparrow version aboard ships as a surface-to-air anti-missile defense. The versatile Evolved Sea Sparrow has all-weather, all-altitude operational capability and can attack high-performance aircraft and missiles from any direction The RIM-7M has a range of over 30 nautical miles and a top speed of 2,660 miles per hour. . It is widely deployed by U.S. and NATO forces. The Evolved Sea Sparrow is found aboard many U.S. and NATO surface warships, including the CV/CVN, LHA/LHD, DD/DDG.
PhalanxClose-In Weapons System Fast-reaction, rapid-fire 20-millimeter gun system. The Phalanx Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) underwent operational tests and evaluation onboard USS Bigelow in 1977, and exceeded maintenance and reliability specifications. Phalanx provides ships of the U.S. Navy with a "last-ditch" defense against anti-ship missiles and littoral warfare threats that have penetrated other fleet defenses. Phalanx automatically detects, tracks and engages air threats such as anti-ship missiles and aircraft, while the Block 1B's man-in-the-loop system counters the emerging littoral warfare threat. This new threat includes small, high-speed surface craft, small terrorist aircraft, helicopters and surface mines. Phalanx accomplishes these engagements via an advanced search and track radar system integrated with a stabilized, forward looking infrared (FLIR) detector. This integrated FLIR provides Phalanx with a unique multi-spectral detect and track capability for littoral warfare threats and dramatically improves the existing anti-air warfare capability. 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 Combat Systems to provide additional sensor and fire-control capability. The CIWS is capable of firing up to 4,500 20 millimeter, armor piercing, depleted uranium rounds per minute.
Mark 38 ~ 25 MM Machine Gun System. The MK-38 is a 25-mm (one inch diameter) heavy machine gun, effective to 2,700 yards (2,457 meters). The MK 38 machine gun system (MGS) was employed aboard various combatant and auxiliary ships in the Mid-East Force escort operations and during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The weapons are permanently installed on certain amphibious and auxiliary ships, patrol craft and Coast Guard cutters. The Mk38 is capable of firing at single shot on semi automatic, or 175 rounds per minute automatic
