Rheinmetall Oerlikon Millennium Gun

Rheinmetall Millennium Gun
Oerlikon Millennium 35mm Naval Revolver Gun System aboard the HDMS Absalon (F341)
Type	CIWS
Place of origin	Switzerland [1]
Service history
In service	2003–present
Used by	Danish Navy Venezuelan Navy Indonesian Navy
Production history
Designed	1995
Manufacturer	Rheinmetall Air Defence, Oerlikon Contraves
Developed into	Rheinmetall Oerlikon Skyranger 35
Specifications
Mass	Gun: 450 kg Installation: 3300 kg
Length	5.5 m
Width	2.39 m
Height	1.94 m
Crew	unmanned
Shell	35×228mm
Caliber	35 mm
Barrels	Singular
Action	Gas-operated four-chamber revolver cannon [2]
Elevation	-15 / +85 degrees rate: 70 degree/s
Traverse	360 degrees rate: 120 degrees per second
Rate of fire	Single shot Rapid Single Shot: 200 rounds per minute Burst (automatic fire): 1000 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity	AHEAD: 1,050 m/s (3,400 ft/s) HEI: 1,175 m/s (3,850 ft/s) APDS/T: 1,440 m/s (4,700 ft/s)
Effective firing range	3,500–5,000 m (3,800–5,500 yd) [3]
Feed system	252 linkless rounds in installation

The Rheinmetall Oerlikon Millennium Gun or Rheinmetall GDM-008 is a close-in weapon system designed by Rheinmetall Air Defence AG (formerly known as Oerlikon Contraves) for mounting on ships. It is based on the 35/1000 revolver gun land-based air defense system and uses Advanced Hit Efficiency And Destruction (AHEAD) ammunition.

Description

A device at the muzzle end of the barrel measures the exact speed of each round as it is fired, and automatically sets the fuse to detonate the round as it approaches a pre-set distance from the target. Each round disperses 152 small tungsten projectiles ^{[4] [5]} weighing 3.3 grams (0.12 oz) each to form a lethal cone-shaped cloud to strike the incoming target. ^[3] Whilst these are too small to do major damage in themselves, the accumulation of damage from multiple strikes is expected to destroy wings and control surfaces, sensors and aerodynamics, causing the target to crash. Other firing modes are designed to be effective against surface targets such as small fast attack boats.

The weapon is designed to be controlled by an external fire-control system using either radar or electro-optical trackers. It is fitted with an optional onboard observation TV camera which relays imagery to an operator console from which it can also be aimed and fired in an emergency mode. The computer system uses an open architecture and is claimed to be compatible with many existing fire control systems.

The gun's ammunition capacity allows it to engage 10 anti-ship missiles or 20 surface targets. ^[3]

Operators

Current operators

Denmark

7 used by the Royal Danish Navy.

• Absalon-class frigate, 2 ships with 2 Millennium Gun each ^{[6] [7]}
• Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate, 3 ships with 1 Millennium Gun each ^{[8] [9]}

Indonesia

2 used by the Indonesian Navy, 2 ordered for new ships.

• Martadinata-class frigate (SIGMA10514-class), 2 ships with 1 Millennium Gun each ^{[10] [11]}
• Merah Putih-class frigate (Arrowhead 140-class), 2 ships in construction, 1 Millennium Gun each ^[12]

Venezuela

8 guns purchased, 6 remain in service with the Venezuelan Navy.

• Guaiquerí-class patrol boat (Avante 2200-class), 3 ships in service, 1 removed from service, 1 Millennium Gun each ^[13]
• Guaicamacuto-class patrol boat (Avante 1400-class), 3 ships in service, 1 lost, 1 Millennium Gun each ^[14]

Future operators

Bulgaria

2 to enter service with the Bulgarian Navy:

• 2 MMPV 90 corvettes in construction, 1 Millennium Gun each ^[15]

Saudi Arabia

5 to enter service with the Royal Saudi Navy:

• Al Jubail-class corvette (Avante 2200-class), 5 ships to enter service service, 1 Millennium Gun each ^[16]

Retired

United States

Experimental ship from Lockheed Martin and the Office of Naval Research. ^[17]

• 1 Sea Slice experimental ship, 1 Millennium Gun ^[18]

See also

• Rheinmetall Sea Snake 30 mm
• Nächstbereichschutzsystem MANTIS - ground-based C-RAM by Rheinmetall using same gun
• Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon - earlier system using AHEAD rounds
• Aselsan Gökdeniz - comparable Turkish system
• Denel 35mm Dual Purpose Gun - comparable South African CIWS
• OSU-35K - comparable Polish system

References

1. "35mm Millenium - Oerlikon GDM-008". weaponsystems.net.
2. The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapons Systems, 1997-1998 - Norman Friedman
3. CIWS: The Last Ditch Defense
4. The 35mm Rheinmetall Oerlikon Millennium Gun 27 May 2015
5. "Rheinmetall Defence". Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
6. "Absalon class - archived report".
7. "Denmark's Absalon-class Flexible Frigates". U.S. Naval Institute. 1 November 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
8. "SHIPS AND PLATFORMS". navalteam.dk. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
9. "Iver Huitfeldt class Guided Missile Frigate Royal Danish Navy". www.seaforces.org. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
10. "Indonesia's SIGMA Solution: 10514 Multipurpose Frigates". U.S. Naval Institute. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
11. "SIGMA 10514 Guided Missile Frigate, PKR - Perusak Kawal Rudal". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
12. Mitsopoulos, Dimitris (11 February 2025). "Indonesia's Merah Putih-class Frigate: What You Need to Know". Naval News. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
13. D-Mitch. "Guaiqueri class offshore patrol boats of the Venezuelan Navy" . Retrieved 11 October 2025.
14. "BVL / Guaicamacuto Class Offshore Patrol Vessels". Naval Technology. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
15. Mitsopoulos, Dimitris (9 August 2023). "Bulgaria's First Modern Corvette Launched by Local Shipyard". Naval News. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
16. Valpolini, Paolo (14 March 2022). "Navantia: Al Jubail first-of class corvette to be commissioned in late March in the RSNF". EDR Magazine. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
17. "MDG-351 Millennium Gun". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
18. "Sea SLICE". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 11 October 2025.

External links

• Rheinmetall Defence information