Navy Destroyer Packs New ‘Piggy-Backed’ Point Defense System That Combines 30mm And .50 Cal Guns

By Joseph Trevithick

Published Sep 10, 2026 12:12 PM EDT

USN/Petty Officer 2nd Class Timothy Dimal

Recently released pictures have highlighted a particularly interesting feature on the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Mustin : a piggy-backed point defense system with a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on top of a 30mm chain gun. The Mk 38 Mod 4 Gun Weapon System (GWS) is interesting to examine as it offers significant boosts in firepower and other capabilities, including against drones, compared to preceding Mk 38 types.

Yesterday, Destroyer Squadron 15’s (DESRON 15) public affairs office released several pictures showing USS Mustin replenishing at sea in the Indian Ocean, including one highlighting the ship’s Mk 38 Mod 4 GWS (also sometimes confusingly referred to as a Machine Gun System, or MGS). DESRON 15 had put out another group of pictures late last month showing the weapon system being fired during routine training. Mustin was the first vessel in the Navy to receive Mod 4, and still looks to be the service’s only warship with this new version.

USS Mustin fires its Mk 38 Mod 4 GWS during live-fire training in the Indian Ocean in August 2026. USN

Another view of the Mk 38 Mod 4 GWS being fired. USN

Though designated as a Mk 38 variant, the Mod 4 is fundamentally different from other Mk 38 types currently in service in the U.S. Navy, as well as several foreign naval arms.

“The Mk 38 Mod 4 Machine Gun System (MGS) is an upgrade … to address deficiencies in meeting Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) requirements,” the Navy has said in the past . “In addition, the upgrade will also improve performance against surface targets and maintain Anti-Terrorist / Force Protection capabilities.”

To take a step back quickly, the original Mk 38 Mod 0 was developed internally by the Navy in the late 1970s and was simply a manually operated deck-mounted 25mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun with a maximum rate of fire of 180 rounds per minute. The M242 was entering U.S. Army service at around the same time as the main armament for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle . A product improved Mod 1 version was the first Mk 38 to actually enter serial production and began to be fitted to Navy ships in the late 1980s.

A Mk 38 Mod 1 weapon system, seen here mounted on the deck of the Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate USS Ingraham in 2003. USN

Following the deadly terrorist attack on the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Cole in the port of Aden in Yemen in 2000, the Navy began to acquire Mk 38 Mod 2s, also known as the Typhoon Weapon System, from United Defense (later BAE Systems).

The Mod 2 “introduced remote-control operation and mount stabilization and allowed the weapon to maintain aim even as the ship pitched and rolled. It also added a new electro-optical/infrared sensor and a laser rangefinder, giving the system reliable day/night target performance,” according to the Navy . “Beyond sensors, Mod 2 brought improved ammunition handling and enhanced interfaces – resulting in faster and more reliable engagement. Testing showed it delivered two to three times the strike accuracy of its predecessor.”

The Mk 38 Mod 2 otherwise featured the same M242 gun as the Mod 0/1 types, feeding from a magazine on the mount that could be loaded with up to 168 rounds. It is worth noting here that this is less than a minute of total firing time at the weapon’s maximum rate of fire. However, it can also be fired in single-shot and three-round burst modes, as well as at a lower automatic rate of fire of 100 rounds per minute.

In the 2010s, the Navy began acquiring the Mk 38 Mod 3 from BAE Systems , which added a smaller 7.62x51mm Mk 52 Mod 0 chain gun feeding from a 750-round magazine to the complete weapon system. The Mk 52 is also a much faster-firing weapon than the M242, with a maximum rate of fire of 570 rounds per minute.

The Mod 3 “also incorporated an improved EO/IR sensor that provides 330-degree surveillance capability and multiple fields of view,” per the Navy . “This sensor is decoupled from the gun, allowing operators to scan independently of the weapon and reducing the chance of alerting an adversary that they’ve been detected.”

Over the years, Mk 38 1/2/3 types have been integrated on a wide array of Navy ships, including Ticonderoga class cruisers, Arleigh Burke class destroyers, Nimitz and Ford class aircraft carriers, as well as a host of other amphibious warfare ships and auxiliaries.

All of this brings us back to the Mk 38 Mod 4, the Navy’s designation for a version of the Seahawk DS30 series from MSI Defense Systems, which the service first began acquiring in the late 2010s. The Mk 38 Mod 4’s main weapon is a 30mm Mk 44 Mod 3 Bushmaster II chain gun . Like the M242, the Mk 44 also has single-shot and burst modes, as well as low and high fully automatic settings (100 and 200 rounds per minute, respectively). The Mk 44 is also found on versions of the Mk 46 Gun Weapon System installed on stealthy Zumwalt class destroyers and San Antonio class amphibious warfare ships . It is used in a variety of ground-based applications and on the U.S. Air Force’s AC-130J Ghostrider gunship aircraft . As mentioned, the Mk 38 Mod 4 also has a .50 caliber M2 machine gun with a rate of fire of around 500 rounds per minute. The system’s magazine capacity for each gun is not immediately clear.

The complete Mk 38 Mod 4 also comes with a new Mk 48 Mod 2 electro-optical sight system (EOSS), which is mounted separately on the ship, and a Mk 134 Mod 0 operator console for remote operation. Furthermore, the complete system is designed to be fully integrated with the Aegis Combat System on Arleigh Burke class destroyers like USS Mustin . The optical turret appears to replace the older EOSS system mounted atop the bridge that was primarily used to target the ship’s 5-inch gun. It isn’t clear how these new mounts are individually targeted simultaneously as they don’t appear to have their own optics. Radar targeting through Aegis would be a big advancement for at least some targets types, like drones. The older Mk 38s had their own individual FLIR systems. It’s still possible these new turrets could have a basic boresighted electro-optical system as well.

Various views of the main turreted weapons component of the Mk 38 Mod 4 system. MSI Defense Systems

The Mk 48 Mod 2 electro-optical sight system (EOSS) that is also part of the Mk 38 Mod 4, but is mounted separately on the ship. MSI Defense Systems

In a July 2022 test, a Mk 38 Mod 4 system “successfully identified, tracked and engaged both surface and aerial targets using live ammunition against fixed and moving targets,” according to the Navy. The event “also highlighted the enhanced fire-control chain, the 30 mm gun’s improved performance and its ability to counter new challenges.”

The USS Mustin received its Mk 38 Mod 4 in 2024 and, as noted, this destroyer still appears to be the only ship in the Navy with this new weapon system, for reasons that are not entirely clear. The service had signed a contract with MSI Defense for an initial low-rate production batch of 15 systems in 2023. Other versions of the Seahawk DS30 are in use today on several classes of naval vessels globally, including British Type 23 frigates .

“USS Mustin (DDG 89), an Arleigh Burke class Aegis guided missile destroyer, was the first U.S. Navy warship to receive the upgrade. [The Naval Surface Warfare Center] Dahlgren Division is now finalizing the configuration so the system can be introduced to a wider set of platforms as fleet requirements evolve,” according to an official news item from Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) just this past February.

Another view of the Mk 38 Mod 4 on USS Mustin . USN

The Navy’s 2027 fiscal year budget request, released earlier this year, makes clear the plan is still to integrate the Mk 38 Mod 4 at least on all Flight IIA and Flight III subvariants of the Arleigh Burke destroyer. The Mk 38 Mod 4 is also set to be a feature on future U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers , which will also have combat systems derived from Aegis .

All remaining Mk 38 Mod 2s in Navy service are being brought up to the Mod 3 standard, as well.

For the Navy’s Arleigh Burke class destroyers, specifically, the Mk 38 Mod 4 reflects broader efforts to improve and expand the shorter-range defensive capabilities of those ships, especially against growing drone threats. An increasing number of these destroyers are also being equipped with new anti-drone interceptors . In addition, the service is working to replace the 20mm Vulcan cannon-armed Mk 15 Phalanx Close-in Weapon Systems (CIWS) on all subvariants in the class with different launchers for RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) to further bolster defenses against drones, as well as incoming missiles and other aerial threats.

In general, the Navy has been investing heavily in new counter-drone defenses for ships across its fleets in recent years. These efforts include laser and high-power microwave directed energy weapons , as well as various types of physical interceptors and electronic warfare systems . Lessons learned from the ongoing conflict with Iran, as well as recent operations in and around the Red Sea , together with observations from the war in Ukraine , have only underscored the increasingly critical need for additional layers of protection against uncrewed attackers in the air and at sea. Small crewed boats attacking in large groups remain a real threat, too.

Mustin may not be the only Navy warship equipped with the Mk 38 Mod 4 for much longer, if the system has not already started finding its way at least onto more Arleigh Burke class destroyers.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

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作者：约瑟夫·特雷维西克

发布于美国东部时间2026年9月10日下午12:12

美国海军二级士官蒂莫西·迪马尔

最近公布的照片凸显了美国海军“阿利·伯克”级驱逐舰“穆斯汀”号的一个特别引人注目的构造：一种搭载式近防系统，该系统在一门30毫米链式机炮上方加装了一挺.50口径机枪。这套名为Mk 38 Mod 4的火炮武器系统（GWS）值得深入研究，因为与之前的Mk 38系列相比，它在火力和其他性能方面都有显著提升，包括对抗无人机的能力。

昨天，第15驱逐舰中队（DESRON 15）公共事务办公室发布了几张照片，显示“穆斯汀”号驱逐舰在印度洋进行海上补给，其中一张照片突出展示了该舰的Mk 38 Mod 4型地面武器系统（GWS，有时也被误称为机枪系统，MGS）。上个月底，DESRON 15还发布了一组照片，展示了该武器系统在例行训练中进行射击的情况。“穆斯汀”号是海军第一艘装备Mod 4型武器系统的舰艇，而且目前看来，它仍然是海军唯一一艘装备该新型号武器系统的军舰。

2026年8月，美国海军“穆斯廷”号两栖攻击舰在印度洋进行实弹射击训练，发射其Mk 38 Mod 4型近程防御武器。

这是Mk 38 Mod 4 GWS导弹发射的另一张照片。美国海军

虽然被指定为 Mk 38 的变型，但 Mod 4 与目前美国海军服役的其他 Mk 38 型号以及一些外国海军武器的型号有着根本的不同。

海军此前曾表示：“Mk 38 Mod 4 机枪系统（MGS）是一项升级……旨在解决其在满足反无人机系统（C-UAS）需求方面的不足。此外，此次升级还将提高其对水面目标的打击性能，并保持反恐/部队保护能力。”

简单回顾一下，最初的Mk 38 Mod 0型是海军在20世纪70年代末期自主研发的，它只是一门手动操作的25毫米M242“大毒蛇”链式机炮，安装在甲板上，最大射速为每分钟180发。M242机炮与布雷德利战车的主炮几乎同时开始在美国陆军服役。改进型Mod 1型是第一款真正投入批量生产的Mk 38型，并于20世纪80年代末期开始装备海军舰艇。

图中所示为一套Mk 38 Mod 1型武器系统，拍摄于2003年，地点为奥利弗·哈泽德·佩里级护卫舰“英格拉姆”号的甲板上。（美国海军）

2000 年，在也门亚丁港，美国海军“科尔”号驱逐舰（阿利·伯克级）遭到致命恐怖袭击后，海军开始从联合防务公司（后来的 BAE 系统公司）采购 Mk 38 Mod 2 型导弹系统，也称为“台风”武器系统。

据海军方面称，Mod 2“引入了遥控操作和支架稳定装置，使武器即使在舰艇摇晃或俯仰时也能保持瞄准。它还增加了一种新型光电/红外传感器和激光测距仪，使该系统具备可靠的昼夜目标探测性能。” “除了传感器之外，Mod 2还改进了弹药处理和增强了接口，从而实现了更快、更可靠的交战。测试表明，其打击精度是前代产品的两到三倍。”

Mk 38 Mod 2 的其他方面与 Mod 0/1 型相同，均采用 M242 机枪，使用枪架上的弹匣供弹，最多可装填 168 发子弹。值得注意的是，即使以最大射速射击，总射击时间也不足一分钟。不过，它还可以进行单发射击、三连发射击，以及以每分钟 100 发的较低射速进行自动射击。

2010年代，美国海军开始从BAE系统公司采购Mk 38 Mod 3型机枪，该机枪在原有武器系统的基础上增加了一挺7.62×51毫米口径的Mk 52 Mod 0型链式机枪，使用750发弹匣供弹。Mk 52的射速也远高于M242，最大射速可达每分钟570发。

据海军方面称，Mod 3“还集成了一个改进的光电/红外传感器，可提供330度监视能力和多个视场”。“该传感器与火炮分离，使操作员能够独立于武器进行扫描，从而降低暴露自身位置并惊动敌方的可能性。”

多年来，Mk 38 1/2/3 型发动机已广泛应用于海军舰艇，包括提康德罗加级巡洋舰、阿利·伯克级驱逐舰、尼米兹级和福特级航空母舰，以及其他众多两栖作战舰艇和辅助舰艇。

这一切又让我们回到了Mk 38 Mod 4，这是海军对MSI防务系统公司生产的Seahawk DS30系列防空导弹系统的命名，海军于2010年代末开始采购该系统。Mk 38 Mod 4的主要武器是一门30毫米Mk 44 Mod 3 Bushmaster II链式机炮。与M242一样，Mk 44也具有单发和点射模式，以及低速和高速全自动射速（分别为每分钟100发和200发）。Mk 44也装备在Mk 46舰炮武器系统的某些型号上，该系统安装在隐形的朱姆沃尔特级驱逐舰和圣安东尼奥级两栖攻击舰上。它还被用于各种地面应用，以及美国空军的AC-130J“幽灵骑士”炮艇机上。如前所述，Mk 38 Mod 4 还配备一挺 .50 口径的 M2 机枪，射速约为每分钟 500 发。目前尚不清楚该系统每挺机枪的弹匣容量。

完整的Mk 38 Mod 4型系统还配备了新型Mk 48 Mod 2型光电瞄准系统（EOSS），该系统单独安装在舰上，以及用于远程操作的Mk 134 Mod 0型操作员控制台。此外，整套系统旨在与阿利·伯克级驱逐舰（例如“穆斯汀”号驱逐舰）上的宙斯盾作战系统完全集成。该光学炮塔似乎取代了安装在舰桥顶部的旧式EOSS系统，后者主要用于瞄准舰载5英寸舰炮。目前尚不清楚这些新型炮塔如何同时进行独立瞄准，因为它们似乎没有自己的光学系统。通过宙斯盾进行雷达瞄准对于至少某些类型的目标（例如无人机）来说将是一项重大进步。旧式Mk 38型炮塔拥有独立的FLIR（前视红外）系统。这些新型炮塔仍有可能配备基本的瞄准线式光电系统。

Mk 38 Mod 4 系统主炮塔武器组件的各种视图。MSI 防御系统

Mk 48 Mod 2 型光电瞄准系统 (EOSS) 也是 Mk 38 Mod 4 型的一部分，但在舰上是单独安装的。MSI 防御系统

据海军方面称，在2022年7月的一次测试中，Mk 38 Mod 4系统“成功识别、跟踪并使用实弹攻击了水面和空中目标，包括固定目标和移动目标”。此次测试“也突显了增强型火控系统、30毫米火炮性能的提升及其应对新挑战的能力”。

“穆斯汀”号驱逐舰于2024年接收了Mk 38 Mod 4型导弹系统。如前所述，这艘驱逐舰目前似乎仍是海军中唯一装备该新型武器系统的舰艇，个中缘由尚不完全清楚。海军于2023年与MSI防务公司签署了一份合同，订购首批15套系统，生产速度较低。目前，包括英国23型护卫舰在内的全球多种舰艇均已装备其他型号的“海鹰”DS30导弹系统。

“阿利·伯克级宙斯盾导弹驱逐舰‘穆斯汀’号（DDG 89）是美国海军首艘接受升级的军舰。[海军水面作战中心]达尔格伦分部目前正在最终确定配置方案，以便随着舰队需求的演变，该系统能够推广到更广泛的平台上。”这是海军海上系统司令部（NAVSEA）今年2月发布的一份官方新闻稿中的内容。

这是“马斯汀”号航空母舰上Mk 38 Mod 4型舰艇的另一张照片。美国海军

美国海军今年早些时候公布的2027财年预算申请明确表明，计划仍然至少在所有阿利·伯克级驱逐舰的Flight IIA和Flight III子型号上集成Mk 38 Mod 4系统。Mk 38 Mod 4系统也将是未来美国海岸警卫队破冰船的标配，这些破冰船也将配备源自宙斯盾系统的作战系统。

海军现役的所有剩余 Mk 38 Mod 2 型步枪也正在升级到 Mod 3 标准。

具体而言，对于海军的阿利·伯克级驱逐舰来说，Mk 38 Mod 4 导弹体现了海军为提升和扩展这些舰艇的近程防御能力而做出的更广泛努力，尤其是在应对日益增长的无人机威胁方面。越来越多的驱逐舰也正在装备新型反无人机拦截器。此外，海军正致力于将该级所有子型号上装备的20毫米“火神”舰炮的Mk 15“密集阵”近程防御武器系统（CIWS）更换为RIM-116“滚体导弹”（RAM）的发射装置，以进一步加强对无人机、来袭导弹和其他空中威胁的防御能力。

近年来，美国海军一直在大力投资，为其舰队各舰艇研发新型反无人机防御系统。这些投入包括激光和高功率微波定向能武器，以及各种类型的物理拦截器和电子战系统。从与伊朗的持续冲突、近期在红海及其周边地区的行动，以及乌克兰战争的经验中汲取的教训，都更加凸显了加强空中和海上无人机攻击防御的迫切性。此外，成群结队的小型艇员发起的攻击仍然构成现实威胁。

如果该系统还没有开始普及到更多的阿利·伯克级驱逐舰上，那么穆斯廷号可能不会是海军唯一一艘配备 Mk 38 Mod 4 的军舰了。

联系作者：joe@twz.com

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