Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Mark 38 'Bushmaster' auto-cannons, BRP Ramon Alcaraz's secondary armament

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 7): Mark 38 'Bushmaster' auto-cannons, BRP Ramon Alcaraz's secondary armament

The Mark 38 Model 2 25mm "Bushmaster" auto-cannons, which will be installed on the BRP Ramon Alcaraz during her two-month dry-dock period, is the ship's secondary armament or backup weaponry other than its 76mm Oto Melara main gun.

Drydock period for the BRP Ramon Alcaraz will start August until early October.

These guns will be fitted amidship (middle part) of the frigate.

It will be mounted on the port (left) and starboard (right) side.

These guns are also considered BRP Ramon Alcaraz's "close-in weapon systems" and will be fired to engage aerial and surface threats that cannot be engaged by the ship's 76 Oto Melara auto-cannon.

Military sources said the weapon was commissioned by the US Navy following the terrorist attack on the USS Cole in 2000.

It was designed to counter high-speed maneuvering surface targets and will be installed in almost all US surface ships by 2015.

The remotely controlled chain gun system can fire as many as 180 25m rounds per minute at targets as far as two kilometers.

The new weapons systems are upgraded versions of the Mark 38 M242 "Bushmasters" that were removed from the vessels prior to its turnover to the Philippines.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=552429

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