Authorities in the United Kingdom have affirmed there are no intentions to install 30mm maritime cannons on HMS Queen Elizabeth or HMS Prince of Wales, even with escalating apprehension concerning drone threats to combat vessels.
Addressing a written query from Lord Lee of Trafford, the Minister for Defence, Lord Coaker, declared that these aircraft carriers currently utilize a multi-tiered protective strategy.
“No provisions exist to install a 30mm armament system on HMS Queen Elizabeth or HMS Prince of Wales,” he stated. “The aircraft carriers of the Queen Elizabeth Class are furnished with an array of protective mechanisms which, combined with accompanying ships and broader security arrangements, provide a multi-level protection scheme that proves efficacious against numerous dangers, comprising novel unmanned aerial threats.”
This determination stands even though the vessels were initially conceived with four mounting points for 30mm cannon systems, yet none have been fitted since the vessels commenced operation.
The DS30M Mark 2, extensively employed throughout the Royal Navy’s surface vessels, represents a stabilised 30mm artillery mechanism devised to oppose swift assault vessels and minor surface perils, with capabilities also adapted to tackle aerial adversaries, including unmanned aircraft.
This apparatus employs an electro-optical guidance unit and is manageable from other locations aboard the vessel, thereby permitting personnel to monitor and confront objectives without needing direct visual contact from the turret itself. The system’s stability feature and dual ammunition feed facilitate the tackling of diverse target categories at distances approaching 5 kilometers, offering the flexibility to change ammunition according to the nature of the menace.
Initially implemented to bridge deficiencies in the Royal Navy’s capacity to counter coordinated small vessel assaults, this mechanism has subsequently evolved into a common short-range protective armament among surface combat vessels, augmenting other provisions like Phalanx close-proximity weapon systems and accompanying ship-based aerial protection.