Phalanx (LPWS)

The Phalanx Close-in Weapon System (CIWS) is a rapid-fire, radar-guided gun system designed to detect and destroy incoming anti-ship missiles and aircraft. The Land Phalanx Weapon System (LPWS) adapts this technology for ground-based defense, primarily serving as a Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) system to protect high-value assets.

Developed by Raytheon in response to an urgent operational requirement during the Iraq War, the Land Phalanx Weapon System (LPWS) entered service in 2005 to defend forward operating bases from insurgent indirect fire. The system saw extensive combat deployment during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, where it was credited with successfully intercepting over a hundred incoming rocket and mortar rounds, particularly in Baghdad's Green Zone. Unlike its naval counterpart, the LPWS utilizes high-explosive self-destructing ammunition to prevent collateral damage on the ground. Today, the LPWS remains a critical component of the U.S. Army's air defense architecture, increasingly tasked with countering unmanned aerial systems alongside its traditional C-RAM mission.