Mortars, artillery cannons, and rocket launchers are some of the most devastating weapons used
against American troops when operating in foreign territory. It doesn’t matter if
America has greater firepower and technological capabilities; all it takes is an easy-to-hide
mortar or rocket to eliminate an entire infantry convoy in a guerilla warfare scenario.
For decades, defending against such attacks was near impossible due to their range,
abruptness, and concealability.
In 2007, during the height of the Iraq war, Staff Sergeant Alberto Marcillo was sleeping in his tent
after finishing his guard duty shift when he was suddenly awakened by the
sound of incoming rockets and artillery munitions.
Marcillo knew the sound well, and he understood that in just a few seconds,
he -as many of his fellow soldiers before him- could become one more victim of a
surprise rocket attack by an insurgent group. He then ducked and covered, preparing for impact.
But the explosion he expected never happened. Instead, a new powerful firing sound ripped
through the air, followed by a series of far-away explosions. Marcillo realized
that he had just been saved by the novel C-RAM Phalanx that his unit had been assigned recently.
He recalled: (QUOTE) “I heard the Phalanx weapon system kick off, I heard the alarms go off, [and]
hit the ground. Then I started hearing explosions but not on the ground anymore, but in the air.
I know that weapon system saved my life and fellow Soldiers on my particular FOB.”
After decades of complete vulnerability to rocket attacks,
a new and groundbreaking weapon was being deployed across Iraq and Afghanistan.
The incredible C-RAM system would change warfare in hostile territories forever…
A Weapon That Saves Lives
C-RAM technology is actually composed of several advanced weapon systems working together.
At first glance, these systems showcase a powerful
high-rate-of-fire Gatling gun that can shoot up to 4,500 rounds per minute.
The rate of fire is so incredibly fast that it almost seems as if the gun is
shooting an uninterrupted beam of fire at night.
The impressive sight has been captured in several videos that have gone viral all over the internet.
Still, the impressive firepower displayed by the C-RAM is not where most of its technology is
employed. Its weapons system includes several projectile detection and tracking devices
that allow it to lock into incoming projectiles and artillery rounds
once they have entered its functionality range.
The C-RAM is also fitted with state-of-the-art radar and sonar units according to the
battle zone where it is deployed. The mobile mechanism used in Iraq has two radar systems,
one for early detection and one for continuous tracking.
Its main turret is an M61 Vulcan placed on top of a rotating base
and fires 20-millimeter rounds specially designed for urban warfare.
The technology employed by the C-RAM system is the same used by the Israeli
Iron Dome defense mechanism but at a much smaller scale. Once operational,
the system is manned by one technician who is tasked with confirming that the target is
actually a hostile projectile and not some other sort of friendly airborne object.
Other than that, the C-RAM system is designed to work completely autonomously,
and it is able to instantly cover vulnerable units under a 3.4-mile radius invisible dome of
protection that shoots down any incoming hostile rockets and artillery shells.
It Came From The Sea
The C-RAM system is actually a modification of a very similar defensive mechanism
used by the US Navy since the 1960s. Originally named Phalanx CIWS, the weapon would be fitted
into US Navy combat ships to provide operative protection against incoming enemy missiles.
During the early 2000s, US forces realized that a significant number of infantry casualties in
recent conflicts were caused by small hidden artillery strikes or furtive
rocket assaults conducted by insurgent clusters in dense urban scenarios.
Long gone were the days of massive artillery faceoffs
where other methods of defense and intelligence could be deployed to avoid unnecessary losses.
During the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, rocket strikes could come from any direction
in fast, unexpected, and concealed assaults.
US intelligence was having a hard time disabling enemy rocket units before they attacked,
and that was becoming a severe issue for American control in the region.
Thus, taking a Phalanx CIWS system and mounting it on a military vehicle
was deemed a perfect solution to radically decrease the casualties
caused by surprise rocket attacks in the Middle East.
However, there was a significant issue with this seemingly brilliant idea: Phalanx CIWS systems
were designed to operate in the middle of the sea where they could fire tens of thousands of rounds
into the air to stop incoming projectiles without the fear of lost bullets injuring third parties,
and if the Army planned on using the same technology in urban environments,
modifications would have to be made in order to avoid collateral damage.
The C-RAM system was then changed to allow for a different kind of ammunition,
one that would be mostly harmless to the general population but still
able to bring down dangerous incoming projectiles.
The land version of the defense system uses 20-millimeter high-explosive incendiary tracer,
self-destruct cartridges. In contrast, the Naval version shoots Tungsten armor-piercing rounds.
In addition, the ammunition used on the land system is designed to explode on impact with
the target or once the tracer charge burns out, thereby significantly dropping the risk
of collateral damage from rounds that miss their intended target.
Once that modification was made, a prototype of the Phalanx for inland use was developed.
The success of such a prototype led to the now widely-deployed C-RAM system.
Saving Lives
Going back to its original deployment, the C-RAM system always proved to be a massive
life-saver for American units serving in war zones with active insurgent groups.
Its mechanism works so well that units have been requested and sold to the military
of many countries, including Israel, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, and NATO forces.
Once an incoming attack is detected, the system lets out a loud alarm and a voice
that says “incoming, incoming” to allow soldiers a few seconds to take cover.
The C-RAM then shoots hundreds of 20-millimeter rounds from
its six-barrel gun at the incoming projectile, detonating it in the air.
The additional rounds fired before and after the destruction of the objective
then explode at a specific altitude to decrease the injuries on the ground.
After the implementation of the C-RAM system during the War in Iraq, casualties caused by
mortars, artillery, and rockets were drastically reduced in the areas where the system was active.
Hundreds of soldiers’ lives have been saved thanks to this innovative and effective technology.
The system’s performance has been so favorable to US war efforts across the globe
that a new approach based on the C-RAM technology is currently being developed.
The new mechanism would replace the main Gatling gun with a directed-energy cannon, which would
allow the taking down of incoming missiles without the need for thousands and thousands of rounds.
Although directed-energy weapons are still under development and little details are known about
their specific features, a C-RAM system that entirely forgoes the use of live ammunition
would be revolutionary for the future of warfare,
as it would not only significantly reduce the cost of operating C-RAM technology,
but it would also make the mechanism even safer for use in densely populated areas.
Thank you for watching our video! How do you think a directed-energy C-RAM system could be employed
in the future? Let us know in the comment section below. And if you liked this video,
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