Hyundai Wia Now Challenges the 30mm Autocannon

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Hyundai Wia has decided to directly develop the gatling gun for the Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) installed on naval vessels. CIWS is the "last line of defense" that fires 4,200 rounds per minute to destroy targets. If North Korea attacks our naval vessels performing missions at sea with ballistic missiles, defense can be carried out in three stages. First, intercept with ballistic missile defense missiles, then defend with the naval surface-to-air guided missile Haegung, and finally block with CIWS.

Our navy has been using two types of CIWS imported directly from overseas: the Phalanx from the U.S. Raytheon and the Goalkeeper from the Netherlands' Thales (formerly Signaal). The Goalkeeper began to be installed starting with the first ship of the Korean Destroyer eXperimental (KDX) program, the Gwanggaeto the Great (delivered to the navy in 1998), and was also installed on the first Aegis destroyer (KDX-III, 7,600-ton class), the Sejong the Great, in 2010.

However, the CIWS to be developed in the future will be domestically produced. A total of 320 billion KRW will be invested by 2030, including development and mass production costs. It is planned to be installed on the navy’s latest vessels, including the Korean Destroyer eXperimental Next Generation (KDDX). Radar, optical equipment, fire control systems, and other naval gun components will also be developed domestically, with development and mass production carried out simultaneously.

The issue lies with the naval gun. Since naval guns have never been produced domestically, the plan is to initially import them directly from overseas. The GAU-8 “Avenger” 30mm 7-barrel gatling gun developed by the U.S. General Electric is a strong candidate. However, Hyundai Wia expects that from performance upgrades or the second production phase, a domestically developed 30mm gun can be mounted.

A government official said, "Since the 30mm gatling gun has greater firepower than the 20mm Vulcan gun, it seems highly likely that the 30mm gatling gun will be used in the upgraded CIWS project," adding, "If localization succeeds, maintenance will be easier and exports can also be targeted."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.