(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to underwater weapons systems, and more particularly to an underwater weapon system having a rotating gun system mounted in a vehicle housing.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Underwater gun systems are being developed for use as anti-mine and anti-torpedo applications. The basic systems include an underwater gun, underwater projectiles, a ship-mounted turret supporting the underwater gun, a targeting system and a combat system. The underwater gun shoots the underwater projectiles which are specially designed for neutralization of undersea targets at ranges of 200 meters or more. The undersea targets are identified and localized with the targeting system, and the combat system provides the control commands to direct the ship-mounted turret to aim the gun towards the target.
Currently, underwater gun systems are mounted onboard a conventional ship by means of a retractable gun turret that deploys a rotating gun using a large hydraulic actuator. The gun is stored in a bay having a hatch on the bottom of the ship that can be opened to allow the turret and gun to be deployed therethrough. When deployed, the gun turret is not readily faired thereby causing drag that results in substantial hydrodynamic loads on the deployed turret and the host ship. Furthermore, for the gun system to respond in a rapid fashion to an unexpected threat, the gun system must be continuously deployed thereby subjecting the host ship to long-term hydrodynamic loads while also reducing the value of having a retractable system. Still further, the space required onboard the host ship is considerable, e.g., the length required for a retractable turret can exceed ten meters for a gun that fires 30 millimeter caliber rounds.