Why U.S. Gatling Guns Are Not Stopping Iran’s Shahed Drones

C-RAM was first fielded in Iraq in 2006 and is described as a last line of defense.

It is a land-based variant of the Phalanx CIWS and is a self-contained unit weighing around 24 tons.

The system has an integrated radar that tracks incoming projectiles and rounds.

The gun is a 20mm M61A1 Gatling firing 3,000–4,500 rounds per minute (50–75 per second).

Ammunition is the M940 Multi-Purpose Tracer Self-Destruct round (3.5 oz / 99 g) with a tungsten cone and an explosive-fragmenting body; tracer feature produces a visible ribbon.