Air Defense

Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar system / C-RAM

Also known as
  • C-RAM
  • C RAM
  • Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar
  • Counter Rocket Artillery Mortar
  • Centurion C-RAM
  • Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System
  • Land based Phalanx Weapon System
  • LPWS
  • Mobile Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System
  • MLPWS

Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar system (C-RAM), also known as the Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System, is a U.S. close-in air-defense and force-protection system derived from the Navy Phalanx gun mount. Army and CJTF-OIR sources document LPWS/C-RAM use protecting bases and high-value sites in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, while the shipboard Phalanx lineage also appears in Red Sea close-in missile defense.

Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar system / C-RAM, Land-based close-in weapon system, Air Defense
Image source: Commons PACFIRE image

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Built by
Raytheon
Type
Land-based close-in weapon system
Service note
2005-present

Specifications

Gun
20 mm six-barrel Gatling gun
Rate of fire
4,500 rounds per minute
Ammunition
M940 20 mm self-destruct / multi-purpose tracer cartridge family
Mount
Lowboy trailer-mounted land adaptation of the Navy Phalanx
Fire control
Integrated search and track radars, infrared tracker, and automated engagement functions
Architecture
System-of-systems integrating sensors, command-and-control equipment, warning systems, FAAD C2, and LPWS
Mission
Detects and counters rockets, artillery, mortar rounds, close-in air threats, and selected small drones
System Architecture

C-RAM is broader than the gun mount alone. Army budget material describes a system-of-systems that combines multi-service sensors, command-and-control equipment, warning systems, FAAD C2 integration, and the Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System intercept component.

Intercept element

LPWS is a modified Navy Phalanx gun system mounted on a trailer for Army land use.

Command and warning

FAAD C2 integrates sensors, weapons, and warning systems to support warning, intercept, response, and protection decisions.

Ammunition

M940 self-destruct 20 mm ammunition is identified in manufacturer and Army material as part of the land-based Phalanx/C-RAM firing chain.

Variants

The catalog page covers the Phalanx-derived land C-RAM family rather than every shipboard Mk 15 mount. Public sources use LPWS, Centurion, and C-RAM for overlapping land-based configurations.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System (LPWS)Lowboy trailer-mounted Army C-RAM configuration

A U.S. contract notice describes LPWS as an Army-used variant of the Mk 15 CIWS mounted on a lowboy trailer.

Sources: DoW LPWS contract notice

Mobile Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System (MLPWS)HEMTT A3-mounted mobile demonstration configuration

Raytheon and Oshkosh demonstrated a mobile configuration that integrated the Centurion Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System on a HEMTT A3 while retaining the Phalanx Block 1B-based functions.

Sources: Raytheon MLPWS demonstration

Ammunition Fired

Northrop Grumman identifies the M940 as the 20 mm cartridge fired from the C-RAM system.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
M940 MPT-SD cartridge, 20 mm multi-purpose tracer self-destruct cartridge, MunitionsM940 MPT-SD cartridge20 mm multi-purpose tracer self-destruct cartridge

Northrop Grumman says the C-RAM system fires the M940 20 mm cartridge.

Sources: Northrop Grumman Ammunition

Timeline

Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar system / C-RAM Key Events

  1. Land-based fielding begins

    The Army says C-RAM was adapted from the Navy Phalanx CIWS and became a fixture in combat theaters after being fielded for land-based use in 2005.

    Sources: Army BOLC C-RAM overview

  2. First combat intercept

    Army University Press says a C-RAM intercept battery using Phalanx 1B with Army radars achieved its first combat intercept of an incoming mortar round in March 2006.

    Sources: Army University Press C-RAM Adaptation

  3. Mobile LPWS live-fire demonstration

    Raytheon and Oshkosh demonstrated a HEMTT A3-mounted Mobile Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System at Yuma, reporting nine inert mortar targets destroyed during the event.

    Sources: Raytheon MLPWS demonstration

  4. Bagram LPWS combat mission documented

    U.S. Army reporting described 2-44 ADA using LPWS at Bagram Airfield to counter indirect-fire attacks during Operation Enduring Freedom.

    Sources: Army Bagram LPWS Mission

  5. Al-Tanf PACFIRE calibration

    CJTF-OIR documented a 20 mm Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System firing a PACFIRE calibration exercise at Al-Tanf Garrison, Syria.

    Sources: DVIDS Al-Tanf Phalanx PACFIRE Video

Media

Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar system / C-RAM Videos

Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar system / C-RAM Images

Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar system / C-RAM, Land-based close-in weapon system, Air Defense - view 1
Source: Commons Bagram image
Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar system / C-RAM, Land-based close-in weapon system, Air Defense - view 2
Source: Commons deployment image
Related Weapon Systems
20mm Mk 15 Phalanx, Shipboard close-in weapon system, Naval SystemsNaval Systems20mm Mk 15 PhalanxShipboard close-in weapon systemThe 20mm Mk 15 Phalanx is a U.S.-origin shipboard close-in weapon system built around an M61A1 Gatling gun, self-contained search and track radar, and automated fire-control functions. Navy and manufacturer sources describe it as the U.S. Navy's inner-layer defense against anti-ship missiles, aircraft, unmanned aircraft, and small surface threats; direct combat-use evidence includes USS Jarrett's Gulf War Phalanx firing during the Iraqi Silkworm engagement near USS Missouri and USS Gravely's Red Sea interception of a Houthi anti-ship missile.
RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile, Ship-launched surface-to-air missile, MunitionsMunitionsRIM-116 Rolling Airframe MissileShip-launched surface-to-air missileThe RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile is a U.S.-German ship self-defense missile used with the MK 31 RAM guided missile weapon system and SeaRAM launchers. U.S. Navy and Raytheon sources describe it as a lightweight, quick-reaction, fire-and-forget weapon for close defense against anti-ship missiles and other air or surface threats, while Red Sea reporting documents a German frigate firing a RIM-116 against Houthi drones in 2024.
M940 MPT-SD cartridge, 20 mm multi-purpose tracer self-destruct cartridge, MunitionsMunitionsM940 MPT-SD cartridge20 mm multi-purpose tracer self-destruct cartridgeThe M940 MPT-SD is a U.S. 20x102 mm multi-purpose tracer self-destruct cartridge for the land-based Phalanx / C-RAM firing chain. Northrop Grumman identifies M940-1 and M940-2 as C-RAM-fired rounds, Army ammunition material describes LPWS/C-RAM employing M940 against incoming rockets, artillery shells, and mortar rounds, and FY2027 budget material lists AC34 M940 w/MK7 Link procurement through Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics option lines.
Harpoon Coastal Defense System (HCDS), Mobile coastal anti-ship missile system, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsHarpoon Coastal Defense System (HCDS)Mobile coastal anti-ship missile systemHarpoon Coastal Defense System (HCDS) is a land-based Harpoon launch-system package built around mobile launcher transporter units, radar trucks, command-and-launch equipment, and RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II missiles. U.S. records identify Boeing as the principal contractor for Taiwan's HCDS sale, document follow-on launcher and missile-package contracts, and separately record two Harpoon coastal defense systems funded for Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion.
Mobile coastal launcher, Truck-mounted mobile coastal launcher for anti-ship cruise missiles, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsMobile coastal launcherTruck-mounted mobile coastal launcher for anti-ship cruise missilesThe Houthi mobile coastal launcher is a road-mobile shore-launch arrangement for anti-ship cruise missiles, built around recovered Yemeni C.801 launch equipment, trucks, and surface-search radars. It links the Al-Mandab-1/C-801 family to 2014 Yemen Civil War coastal defense and later appears in 2023 Red Sea Crisis reporting as Houthi truck-mounted anti-ship missiles and launchers threatened shipping from Houthi-controlled Yemen.

Sources

RTX Phalanx Weapon SystemPublisher: RTX | Note: Supports Phalanx background, the land-based Army role against rocket, artillery, and mortar systems, rapid-fire radar-guided close-in defense, and search, detection, threat evaluation, tracking, engagement, and kill-assessment functions. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Northrop Grumman AmmunitionPublisher: Northrop Grumman | Note: Supports the 20 mm ammunition family background and Northrop's statement that the M940 is fired from the C-RAM system. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Army BOLC C-RAM overviewPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports C-RAM Intercept LPWS identity, common C-RAM naming, land adaptation from Navy Phalanx CIWS, 2005 land-based fielding, M61A1 gun, M940 ammunition, and 4,500 rpm claim. | Accessed: 2026-07-01DoW LPWS contract noticePublisher: U.S. Department of War | Note: Supports Raytheon LPWS spares contract, LPWS as an Army-used lowboy trailer variant of Phalanx, and the integrated fire-control/search-track radar/infrared tracker/six-barrel gun description with 4,500 rpm rate. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Al-Monitor Baghdad attack reportPublisher: Al-Monitor | Note: Supports 2020 United States-Iran Conflict direct conflict-use: U.S. forces used C-RAM to defend a U.S. diplomatic facility near Baghdad International Airport after drone and rocket attacks. | Accessed: 2026-06-20USS Gravely Phalanx intercept reportPublisher: Navy Times | Note: Supports 2023 Red Sea Crisis direct conflict-use: USS Gravely used its Phalanx Close-In Weapon System to shoot down a Houthi anti-ship missile in the 2023 Red Sea Crisis. | Accessed: 2026-06-22Commons PACFIRE imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain licensing for a 2025 U.S. Army Land-based Phalanx Weapon System firing photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Commons Bagram imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain licensing for a 2014 U.S. Army C-RAM photo at Bagram Air Field. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Commons deployment imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain licensing for a 2017 U.S. Army Land-based Phalanx Weapon System image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Army C-RAM Defense TacticsPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports 2003 Iraq War direct conflict-use: C-RAM protected forward operating bases and high-value targets in Iraq, including an account of Phalanx engaging incoming munitions at a forward operating base in 2007. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Army C-RAM 100th Iraq interceptPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports 2003 Iraq War direct conflict-use and background: C-RAM was fielded to selected U.S. and coalition forward operating bases in Iraq and reached its 100th successful rocket or mortar intercept by late March 2008. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Army Bagram LPWS MissionPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports 2001 War in Afghanistan direct conflict-use: 2-44 ADA used Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System at Bagram Airfield to counter enemy indirect fire against forward operating bases. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Army Bagram 5-5 ADA MissionPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports 2001 War in Afghanistan direct conflict-use and background: 5-5 ADA operated LPWS at Bagram Airfield to protect U.S. and coalition forces from indirect-fire threats. | Accessed: 2026-07-01DVIDS Al-Tanf Phalanx PACFIRE VideoPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports 2014 War Against the Islamic State direct conflict use under Operation Inherent Resolve: Supports 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve direct conflict-use: CJTF-OIR documented a 20 mm Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System operated at Al-Tanf Garrison, Syria, for PACFIRE calibration and defensive engagement readiness. | Accessed: 2026-07-01DVIDS Al Asad C-RAM test firePublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports 2014 War Against the Islamic State direct conflict use under Operation Inherent Resolve: Supports 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve direct conflict-use: CJTF-OIR documented a land-based Phalanx PACFIRE at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, on May 24, 2016. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Army Dragonslayer LPWS deploymentPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports 2014 War Against the Islamic State direct conflict use under Operation Inherent Resolve: Supports 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve direct conflict-use and background: LPWS is an integral C-RAM component and Army reporting says LPWS/C-RAM defended U.S. and coalition troops in Iraq and Syria from more than 100 attacks. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Raytheon MLPWS demonstrationPublisher: Raytheon | Note: Supports the Mobile Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System designation, HEMTT A3 mobile configuration, 20 mm M61A1 Gatling gun, M940 self-destruct ammunition, 4,500 shots per minute rate, search-and-track radar, closed-loop spotting, and autonomous engagement functions. | Accessed: 2026-07-01FY 2017 Army C-RAM BudgetPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports C-RAM as a system-of-systems with sensors, command-and-control equipment, warning systems, LPWS, FAAD C2 integration, deployed sites, and fixed-site warning/intercept/protection functions. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Army University Press C-RAM AdaptationPublisher: Army University Press | Note: Supports early C-RAM adaptation context, including the March 2006 first combat intercept using Phalanx with Army radars. | Accessed: 2026-07-01