MK 46 Mod 2 30mm GWS

Also known as

Mk 46 Mod 2 30mm Gun Weapon System
MK 46 30mm GWS
MK 46 Mod 2 GWS

The MK 46 Mod 2 30mm GWS is a remotely operated U.S. Navy shipboard gun system built around the Mk 44 Mod 2 30 mm cannon. It uses a FLIR sensor, low-light television camera, and laser rangefinder to provide close-range defense against small, fast surface threats.

MK 46 Mod 2 30mm GWS, 30 mm remote gun system, Naval Systems

Image source: USS Cooperstown conducts live-fire exercise

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin: United States
Built by: General Dynamics Land Systems
Type: 30 mm remote gun system
Service note: 2000s-present
Produced: 2000s-present

naval shipboard autocannon 30 mm cannon surface warfare

Specifications

Caliber: 30 mm
Cannon: Mk 44 Mod 2 chain gun
Magazine capacity: 400 rounds
Fire control: FLIR, low-light television camera, and laser rangefinder
Operation: Remotely operated naval gun turret

Key Features

30 mm Mk 44 Mod 2 cannon in a remote naval turret.
FLIR, low-light television, and laser rangefinder fire-control suite.
Designed for close-range defense against small, fast surface craft.

Firing Ships

The MK 46 Mod 2 is documented in shipboard fits aboard U.S. Navy vessels.

Firing weapon

Weapon type

Firing evidence

Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship, Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, Naval Systems

Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship

Littoral combat ship

USS Sioux City (LCS-11) is listed with two MK 46 Mod 2 30mm GWS mounts in its armament.

Sources: USS Sioux City historical evaluation

Service And Conflict Use

Service History

In service: Used on U.S. Navy surface combatants fitted with the MK 46 Mod 2 gun weapon system.
Used by: United States Navy

Media

MK 46 Mod 2 30mm GWS Images

MK 46 Mod 2 30mm GWS, 30 mm remote gun system, Naval Systems - view 1 — Source: USS Cooperstown conducts live-fire exercise

MK 46 Mod 2 30mm GWS, 30 mm remote gun system, Naval Systems - view 2 — Source: USS Cooperstown conducts live-fire exercise

Related Weapon Systems

Marineleichtgeschütz 27 mm, 27 mm remote-controlled naval gun, Naval Systems

Naval SystemsMarineleichtgeschütz 27 mm27 mm remote-controlled naval gunMarineleichtgeschütz 27 mm is Rheinmetall's 27 mm remote-controlled naval gun family, based on the BK-27M revolver cannon and documented on F125 frigates and Ensdorf-class mine-countermeasure vessels.

100 mm/55 Model 1968 CADAM naval gun, 100 mm naval gun mount, Naval Systems

Naval Systems100 mm/55 Model 1968 CADAM naval gun100 mm naval gun mountThe 100 mm/55 Model 1968 CADAM naval gun is a French dual-purpose 100 mm mount from the Creusot-Loire family. NavWeaps lists the CADAM variant at 78 rounds per minute and identifies the Floréal class among the ship classes fitted with it, while Weaponsystems.net describes the gun as a French development that replaced earlier naval gun pairings.

Himgiri, Project 17A frigate, Naval Systems

Naval SystemsHimgiriProject 17A frigateINS Himgiri is a GRSE-built Project 17A guided-missile frigate commissioned into the Indian Navy on 27 August 2025. The 6,670-tonne ship is nearly 149 metres long, uses CODOG propulsion, and is armed with Barak-8 anti-aircraft missiles and BrahMos anti-ship/land-attack missiles.

Type 053H3 / Jiangwei II-class frigate, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy frigate class, Naval Systems

Naval SystemsType 053H3 / Jiangwei II-class frigateChinese People's Liberation Army Navy frigate classThe Type 053H3 / Jiangwei II-class frigate is a Chinese guided-missile frigate class built for the People's Liberation Army Navy as an improved follow-on to the Type 053H2G. It entered service in the late 1990s, used a CODAD propulsion arrangement, and is associated with the PLAN's coastal patrol, anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine escort roles.

Type 054A / Jiangkai II-class frigate, Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy multi-role frigate class, Naval Systems

Naval SystemsType 054A / Jiangkai II-class frigateChinese People's Liberation Army Navy multi-role frigate classThe Type 054A / Jiangkai II-class frigate is a Chinese multi-role guided-missile frigate class built for the People's Liberation Army Navy by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding. Commons and reference sources identify it as a 2006 class that became the PLAN's standard medium frigate, with a vertical-launch HQ-16 air-defense fit, anti-ship missiles, and an embarked helicopter capability.

Type 23 / Duke-class frigate, Anti-submarine frigate class, Naval Systems

Naval SystemsType 23 / Duke-class frigateAnti-submarine frigate classThe Type 23 / Duke-class frigate is the Royal Navy's 16-ship anti-submarine frigate family, built in the United Kingdom and adapted into a multi-role escort with Sea Ceptor air defense on surviving ships. Royal Navy reporting on HMS Richmond shows the class protecting carrier groups, covering anti-submarine patrols, and firing Sea Ceptor against Houthi drones in the Red Sea.

Sources

MK 46 - 30 mm Gun Weapon SystemPublisher: U.S. Navy | Note: Supports the MK 46 Mod 2 name, 30 mm cannon fit, remote operation, magazine capacity, guidance system, and general shipboard role. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 FY20-24 MK 46 MOD 2 GWS BOA AwardPublisher: HigherGov | Note: Supports the award of MK 46 Mod 2 Gun Weapon System work to General Dynamics Land Systems. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 USS Sioux City historical evaluationPublisher: NAVSEA | Note: Supports the documented fit of two MK 46 Mod 2 30mm GWS mounts aboard USS Sioux City. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 USS Cooperstown conducts live-fire exercisePublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports image provenance for the MK 46 gun system shown in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 USS San Diego fires MK-46 30mm gunPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports image provenance for a second MK 46 gun-system view. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 MK-46 30mm Gun Shoot Aboard USS SomersetPublisher: DVIDS | Note: Supports image provenance for a third MK 46 gun-system view. | Accessed: 2026-06-27