Rheinmetall Oerlikon Millennium Gun

Short description: Type of defensive weapon system

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
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
Calibre| 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.

## Contents

* 1 Description
* 2 Operators
* 2.1 Current operators
* 2.2 Future operators
* 2.3 Retired
* 3 See also
* 4 References
* 5 External links

## 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.

* Script error: The function "sclass" does not exist., 2 ships with 2 Millennium Gun each[6][7]
* Script error: The function "sclass" does not exist., 3 ships with 1 Millennium Gun each[8][9]

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

* Script error: The function "sclass" does not exist. (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.

* Script error: The function "sclass" does not exist. (Avante 2200-class), 3 ships in service, 1 removed from service, 1 Millennium Gun each[13]
* Script error: The function "sclass" does not exist. (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:

* Script error: The function "sclass" does not exist. (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. https://weaponsystems.net/system/1588-35mm+Millenium.
2. ↑ The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapons Systems, 1997-1998 - Norman Friedman
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 CIWS: The Last Ditch Defense
4. ↑ The 35mm Rheinmetall Oerlikon Millennium Gun 27 May 2015
5. ↑ "Rheinmetall Defence". http://www.rheinmetall-defence.com/index.php?fid=5122&qid=&qpage=0&lang=3&query=millennium gun.
6. ↑ "Absalon class - archived report". https://www.forecastinternational.com/archive/disp_pdf.cfm?DACH_RECNO=1266.
7. ↑ "Denmark’s Absalon-class Flexible Frigates" (in en). 2021-11-01. https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2021/november/denmarks-absalon-class-flexible-frigates.
8. ↑ "SHIPS AND PLATFORMS" (in en). https://navalteam.dk/ships-and-platforms/.
9. ↑ "Iver Huitfeldt class Guided Missile Frigate Royal Danish Navy". https://www.seaforces.org/marint/Danish-Navy/Frigate/Iver-Huitfeldt-class.htm.
10. ↑ "Indonesia’s SIGMA Solution: 10514 Multipurpose Frigates" (in en). 2023-02-01. https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2023/february/indonesias-sigma-solution-10514-multipurpose-frigates.
11. ↑ "SIGMA 10514 Guided Missile Frigate, PKR - Perusak Kawal Rudal". https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/indonesia/kri-pkr-sigma.htm.
12. ↑ Mitsopoulos, Dimitris (2025-02-11). "Indonesia’s Merah Putih-class Frigate: What You Need to Know" (in en-US). https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/02/indonesias-merah-putih-class-frigate-what-you-need-to-know/.
13. ↑ D-Mitch. "Guaiqueri class offshore patrol boats of the Venezuelan Navy". https://www.navalanalyses.com/2014/10/guaiqueri-class-offshore-patrol-boats.html.
14. ↑ "BVL / Guaicamacuto Class Offshore Patrol Vessels" (in en-US). https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/bvl-guaicamacuto-class-offshore-patrol-vessels/.
15. ↑ Mitsopoulos, Dimitris (2023-08-09). "Bulgaria's First Modern Corvette Launched by Local Shipyard" (in en-US). https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/08/bulgarias-first-modern-corvette-launched-by-local-shipyard/.
16. ↑ Valpolini, Paolo (2022-03-14). "Navantia: Al Jubail first-of class corvette to be commissioned in late March in the RSNF" (in en-GB). https://www.edrmagazine.eu/navantia-al-jubail-first-of-class-corvette-to-be-commissioned-in-late-march-in-the-rsnf.
17. ↑ "MDG-351 Millennium Gun". https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/systems/mg.htm.
18. ↑ "Sea SLICE". https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/sea-slice.htm.

## External links

* Rheinmetall Defence information

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Rheinmetall

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Legacy products|

* 3.7 cm Pak 36
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* MG 42
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