Why U.S. Gatling Guns Are Not Stopping Iran’s Shahed Drones

In any discussion of drone defense, Gatling-type weapons are often presented as a trump card. Originally developed to defend U.S. warships against sea-skimming missiles, these rapid-firing weapons can easily neutralize threats larger and faster than a Shahed drone traveling at 120 miles per hour. On paper they look extremely effective, and the news speaks enthusiastically about them:Iran destroys drones.” But these are not a silver bullet that will eliminate all drones, and some Witnesses are succeeding.

Taking a closer look at videos of these weapons in action and their actual capabilities provides a more comprehensive picture of what’s actually happening and the critical role of ammunition supply.

Last Line of Defense

Centurion C-RAM (“Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar”) deployed for the first time in Iraq in 2006 It is a land-based variant of the original Phalanx CIWS (“Close in Weapon System”) used by the Navy since 1980. It is the last line of defense when urgent intervention is needed to prevent loss of life. The land version is a self-contained unit weighing approximately 24 tons and costing over $4 million.

As the name suggests, C-RAM was introduced to protect bases against rocket, artillery and mortar fire. It has an integrated radar that directs incoming rounds, as well as rounds fired by the 20 mm M61A1 Gatling gun, towards the target.

The cannon is the same cannon carried by F-15 and F-16 fighter jets. Its distinguishing feature is its extraordinary rate of fire; Six electrically powered rotating barrels selectively fire 3,000 to 4,500 rounds per minute (i.e. 50 to 75 per second), creating a buzzsaw-like sound, often translated as “Brrrrt”.

While the Navy version fires solid tungsten projectiles, CRAM M940 Multi-Purpose Tracer – Self-Destruct round. It weighs 3.5 ounces/99 grams and consists of a tungsten cone that will pierce the target skin and a body that explodes into a dense mass of fragments inside the target. “Audience” means that the bullet produces a visible glow, and during operation the bullet stream appears as a bright stripe extending towards the target. Automatic tracking aims until this stripe overlaps the target.

“Self DestructionThe ” part means that the bullets will automatically detonate from a distance of approximately 2,300 meters if they miss the target; this effect is also quite evident in videos of CRAM engagements. CRAM is a point defense system deployed to protect high-value assets. If a drone strikes just a few miles away, operators can only watch.

CRAM has a magazine of 1,500 rounds. That seems like a lot, delivering 30 one-second bursts of 50 rounds each. However, this is only enough for 10 two-second bursts at the higher rate of fire. It reportedly takes about 30 minutes to manually reload the CRAM with 15 boxes of ammunition, weighing approximately 60 pounds each.

Each M940 round costs $168So a burst of 150 rounds costs about 25 thousand dollars, which is comparable to Shahed’s price.

Centurion in Action

It’s difficult to keep CRAM’s operation secret because of the way it lights up the night sky and the noise it makes. Many engagements have been filmed and shared on social media over the past month. Some of these are clearly successful.

this videoStarting from the week of March 16-22^AndIt shows CRAM shooting a Shahed near the US Embassy in Baghdad. The drone is visibly hit three times by a stream of bullets in a 2-second burst and falls from the sky.

a second video Again from the defense of the Baghdad Embassy and dated 22 March^And It shows a CRAM firing three bursts of approximately 1 second, 1 second, and 3 seconds in duration, bringing down a Shahed who arrived with the third burst.

In other cases it is difficult to tell whether CRAM has found a target. this videoTagged “CRAM targets Iranian drones arriving over Erbil, Iraq early tonight” from March 28^This It shows a 7-second burst of fire with no apparent hit. another, Shot in Syria and published on March 29^ThisIt is a 4-second explosion with no consequences. another one Footage of the US Embassy in Baghdad on March 17 shows a 6-second explosion snaking across the sky without any hits.

In some cases CRAM clearly misses. This is March 21^st video It reportedly shows an attack on a US base in Baghdad with a 1-second explosion followed by an explosion near where the CRAM was fired.

CRAM’s Drone Problem

This selective view tells little about actual hit and miss rates. A hit to the drone may not be visible in the night sky as it will not explode when hit. Likewise, there may have been many more failed engagements that were not captured on film.

What we do know is that the reported success rate against rockets and mortars in Iraq is as follows: reportedly 70-80% Average 300 rounds per engagement. These are relatively suitable targets because although they move fast, they come from a very predictable orbit and descend high in the sky, making them easy to pick out on radar.

Fighting drones may be more difficult. Because they are made of composite material rather than metal, they may have a small radar reflectivity. And Shaheds can fly extremely low, sometimes below 100 feet, with a flight path that takes them between buildings. The level of background clutter will make radar tracking difficult.

Additionally, the Giraffe 1X radar controlling the CRAM at the Baghdad Embassy was damaged by a drone strike, making it potentially unusable. This shows that the Iranians knew they had to destroy this one first and leave other targets open to attack.

Unlike rockets and cannons, Shaheds do not need to fly on a predictable path. Some Russian versions Automatically perform evasive maneuvers when they feel a threat. As the videos show, the tour flow can be seen and potentially avoided. This dodge will at least increase the number of bullets needed for a kill. The Russian Shahedes are also accompanied by numerous low-cost Gerbera decoys to distract and exhaust the defense. Iran does not yet appear to have either capability.

The number of rounds in a magazine can be a big issue. CRAM was not called upon very often in Iraq. Multiple systems have been deployed in at least five locations in Iraq, but fewer than 400 uses of the system have been reported over the course of 16 years of deployments. This suggests that each system was fired only every few months on average, and ammunition was not a factor then.

From what we’ve seen, it can take a few seconds for CRAM to successfully engage a drone, so they can only hit four or five before they run out of ammo. Considering Iran is attacking with waves of Shahid, one CRAM may not be enough.

There is also the issue of ammunition stocks. The US Army obtained only about 20,000 M940 rounds this year; This was a gun that a single gun could burn in five minutes of firing. Additional supplies are likely to be procured urgently behind the scenes.

Some Shahed make it happen multiple hits were seen Near Baghdad Embassy. While the CRAM looks great and is extremely effective in its intended role, it is not designed to handle large numbers of Shahed.

For this task some small interceptor drones A system developed by Ukraine that costs several thousand dollars each and integrates with radar and other sensors might be a much better bet. This is especially true in a long-term conflict where the Witnesses may continue to arrive night after night.

This article was first published on: Forbes.com