The U.S. Navy has installed the new 30 mm Mk38 Mod 4 RCWS, featuring firepower and sensor suite upgrades on an Arleigh Burke Flight-IIA destroyer.
As reported by Naval News, USS Mustin is the first destroyer of the class to receive the upgraded version of Mk38. The RCWS serves as the primary close-range weapon on most U.S. Navy ships.
Upgrades of Mk38 Mod 4 RCWS include a co-axial 12.7 mm M2 machine gun, an independent secondary electro-optic system, and the capability to fire proximity ammunition.
The secondary electro-optic Mk48 Mod 2 is a stabilised two-axis system with TV and thermal cameras as well as a laser rangefinder. The optic as part of Mk38 Mod 4 can be described as a search component with its independent movement from the gun system.
30 mm proximity rounds are considered a potential solution to UAVs and newly emerged USV threats, which are difficult to hit with conventional ammunition due to their small size and high agility.
Proximity rounds should not be confused with programmable airbursts like AHEAD and ATOM, which require extra components on the barrel to program the rounds upon exiting the barrel to fragment at a defined time. While this might be a cheaper and less time-consuming method, the sensors on ammunition can be affected by electromagnetic interference and have a limited angle of detection.
It is understood that the integration of Mk38 Mod 4 is a response to the realisation of the threat posed to even well-armed warships by much cheaper UAVs and USVs due to the difficulty of engagement. This realisation came with the attacks of Houthis on civilian and military ships in the Red Sea.
