Meroka CIWS

[Kaiser]

I was browsing some of the Spanish ships and I didn't really like how the Meroka looks like in the current parts sheets , so I decided to try my hand at drawing it myself.



Since I imagine this is a little known system, here are my 2 cents:

The Meroka (ME hr RO hr KA none in German) is a Spanish CIWS system which entered service in 1984. Instead of using a rotary cannon like the Phalanx, it has its 12 Oerlikon 20/120 20mm cannons mounted in two rows. The cannons are slightly deviated from the center and fire at the same time, achieving a buckshot effect like that of a shotgun. The Meroka was perfectly comparable in terms of effectiveness to other contemporary CIWS when it was introduced, but it hasn't been upgraded since, which has sparked a lot of debate in the Spanish navy about whether it is useful at all.

It mounts a Lockheed Electronics VPS-2 Sharpshooter I-band radar and a bakup optronic targeting system in case the radar is jammed by ECM.

Here are some more detailed specifications:

Cannon: Oerlikon 20/120.
Weight: 4500 kg.
Elevation: -15 / +85 degrees
Traverse: 360 degrees.
Initial speed: 1290 m/s.
Rate of fire: 1440 shots per minute
Ammunition capacity: 720 APDS-T projectiles total, 60 per cannon.
Range: Effective using APDS-T between 1500 - 2000 m.
Targetins system: Lockheed Electronics VPS-2 Sharpshooter I-band radar, w/ Indra-built thermograph.

Edit: re-uploaded due to incorrect scaling

[acelanceloet]

It looks fairly big, are you certain you have scaled it correctly? I also think the foot underneath it is actually part of it, so I would include that too
Other then those, nice work, and good to see you helping out with updating parts!

[Kaiser]

It looks fairly big, are you certain you have scaled it correctly? I also think the foot underneath it is actually part of it, so I would include that too
Other then those, nice work, and good to see you helping out with updating parts!

Information about the Meroka is pretty scarce and the Spanish Wikipedia article is a bit ambiguous, so I got the dimensions wrong. The wiki says it is 3,71m "above deck" and 6,2m total. I considered those 3,71m to be the "turret" only since I saw photos of it mounted in what seems to be solid surfaces (eg. concrete), and thought there could not be anything underneath it. As the original drawing considers the foot to be part of the above deck section , I have re-scaled it, added the foot to the new drawing and uploaded it again.

[Charguizard]

I want to second Ace, I'm very glad you're contributing with this which is a rather obscure but interesting solution to the close defence problem.

[Yqueleden]

With this picture can calculate the real size of the weapon (the mans will measure 180 - 190 cm height).

[Kaiser]

Thanks for the picture, Yqueleden. I calculated the height of the Meroka comparing it to the sailor's and the result was about 3,5m from the VPS-2 to the deck so the re-drawn version is the correct one.

[Colombamike]

@Kaiser,
a side view


More

[erik_t]

Those CAD images are excellent. Do you know the original source?

[Kaiser]

Those CAD images are excellent. Do you know the original source?

https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/ma ... iws/948241

@Colombamike that's the side view I used as a reference, and thanks for posting those CAD images.

[Corso]

Hi, it's been a few years since there was a new version of Meroka. I think it comes from the old forum, it's in my files since 08/10/2009.
I do not know who was the author of the drawing.