Boom Boom Boom

From the always excellent Defense Daily (subscription only) Defense Watch weekly edition.

Sailors from the first Surface Warfare Mission Package (SUW MP) Detachment completed four weeks of hands-on training last month on the SUW Gun Mission Module that will be a part of LCS. The training took place at NSWC Dahlgren, Va. The SUW MP is specifically designed to combat small, fast boat threats to the Fleet, the Navy says. SUW MP Detachment sailors learned critical skills in pre- and post-firing procedures such as ammunition loading; misfires; power loss; elevation/azimuth drive-motor loss; and power up/shut down during their training. Once sailors were familiar with the SUW MP, they learned to operate the Gun Weapon System at both local and remote stations by tracking live, high-speed maneuverable targets both at day and at night, the Navy adds. The four weeks of training ended with a live-fire exercise for the students in which 164 rounds of ammunition were safely and successfully fired on target. Following the training, SUW MP Detachment Sailors will operate the SUW MP Gun Mission Module during the upcoming Structural Test Firing aboard LCS 1.

The gun appears to be quite capable for small boats and such, and might end up being very useful in disabling a commercial ship. My concern is that on both versions the gun is basically on one of the highest points of the ship. Good for range, but what is the minimal distance it is effective? We are talking about small suicide boat concerns with this mission module package right?

The picture above was taken by me, those two hatches on each side will be where the 30mm guns go. For a better understanding where on the ship that is, see the hatches for LCS-1 in this picture, and see the hatches for LCS-2 on this picture (see hi-res for both). Up high the 30mm is going to be able to reach out and smack something, but the depression angle of the guns determine how close becomes too close in small boat ops.

BTW, that area in the top picture where the no-skid is was supposed to become the NLOS weapon zone, but LCS-1 was designed and built before NLOS specs were available so they just enclosed it. Well know the LCS program is moving into ASuW module testing when Freedom gets a bit of shop work done to that section.