According to information published by the Australian DoD on July 4, 2022, HMAS Supply successfully completed a first-of-class firing trial of the Phalanx close-in weapon system (CIWS) during a regional presence deployment.
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Phalanx CIWS on the Supply class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment HMAS Supply. (Picture source: Australian MoD)
Successful and safe completion of the firing exercise required careful planning, testing of the gun system functionality, and the safety mechanisms of the systems required. The team then liaised with the operations crew on a specific detail of the planned firing.
As an auxiliary oil replenishment ship, Supply’s primary function is the replenishment of the fleet, but having a weapons defense system to defend against anti-ship missiles provides greater capability to the ship and those she sails with.
HMA ships Supply, Canberra, and Warramunga are sailing in a company as part of a regional presence deployment.
About the Phalanx Close-in Weapon System
The Phalanx CIWS is a gun-based close-in weapon system to defend military watercraft automatically against incoming threats such as aircraft, missiles, and small boats.
It was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division, and later a part of Raytheon. Consists of a radar-guided 20 mm (0.8 in) Vulcan cannon mounted on a swiveling base.
