Netherlands
30 mm/77 (1.2") Goalkeeper SGE-30
Updated 20 May 2006
A joint project by Signaal and General Electric, Goalkeeper is a close-in weapon for use against missiles and aircraft.  The system automatically performs the entire process from surveillance and detection to destruction, including selection of the next priority target.  Goalkeeper uses a dual radar system, an I-band track-while-scan search-and-acquisition set which hands off to a dual frequency L/K-band target-tracking radar for the actual gun engagement.

This system can track up to thirty targets, engaging the four most urgent.  It will minimize the salvo length to engage as many targets as possible and is thought to be able to deal with two pairs of sea-skimming missiles as little as five seconds apart.

The General Electric (General Dynamics Armaments) 30 mm (1.2") GAU-8/A seven-barrel Gatling gun used by Signaal is also used for French close-in weapon systems, including SAMOS and Satan.  It is perhaps most famously used on the US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt anti-tank aircraft.
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GAU-8/A Gatling Gun
Photograph copyrighted by General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products (GDATP)
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Goalkeeper
Photograph copyrighted by General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products (GDATP)
WNNeth_30mm_Goalkeeper_pic.jpg

Goalkeeper
Netherlands Navy Photograph
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Goalkeeper on HMS Invincible
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Gun Characteristics
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Designation Goalkeeper
30 mm/77 GAU-8/A Gatling Gun
Ship Class Used On Netherlands:  Karel Doorman and "M" classes
Britain:  Invincible, Type 22 Batch 3 and Type 23
Exported to South Korea and others
Date Of Design about 1975
Date In Service 1980
Gun Weight 620 lbs. (281 kg)
Gun Length oa 114.2 in (2.900 m)
Bore Length 90.6 in (2.300 m)
Rifling Length N/A
Grooves N/A
Lands N/A
Twist N/A
Chamber Volume N/A
Rate Of Fire Selectable up to 4,200 rounds per minute
Note:  This weapon fires for about 0.2 seconds per engagement.
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Ammunition
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Type Fixed
Weight of Complete Round PGU-14/B API:  1.62 lbs. (0.735 kg)
PGU-13/B HE-I:  1.48 lbs. (0.671 kg)
APDS-T:  1.23 lbs. (0.560 kg)
FMPDS:  1.37 lbs. (0.620 kg)
Projectile Types and Weights API:  0.94 lbs. (0.425 kg)
HE-I:  0.79 lbs. (0.360 kg)
APDS-T:  0.50 lbs. (0.225 kg)
FMPDS:  0.52 lbs. (0.234 kg)
Bursting Charge HE-I:  0.12 lbs. (0.056 kg) HE/Incendiary
Projectile Length N/A
Complete Round - 11.4 in (29 cm)
Propellant Charge 0.33 to 0.34 lbs. (0.150 to 0.156 kg) RP1313 single base propellant
Cartridge 30 x 173 mm
Muzzle Velocity API - 3,225 fps (983 mps)
HE-I:  3,350 fps (1,021 mps)
APDS-T:  4,019 fps (1,225 mps)
MPDS:  3,773 fps (1,150 mps)
Working Pressure N/A
Approximate Barrel Life N/A
Ammunition Stowage per gun 1,190 rounds on mounting
Notes:

1) Ammunition is link-less and supplied in drums.

2) Drive bands are plastic, which prolongs the barrel life.

3) The APDS sub-caliber penetrator is made from depleted uranium (DP) and has a diameter of about 0.6 in (1.5 cm).  The penetrator has an thin light-alloy ballistic cap, which allows the penetrator itself to have a short conical shape.  The APDS is said to be cabable of defeating twice the armor thickness as the API at a distance of 1,590 yards (1,500 m).

4) The MPDS sub-caliber penetrator is made from high-density tungsten alloy and has a diameter of about 0.6 in (1.5 cm).

5) Time of flight for APDS-T at MV = 4,019 fps (1,225 mps)
   2,190 yards (2,000 m):  1.87 seconds

6) Time of flight for MPDS at MV = 3,773 fps (1,150 mps)
   1,050 yards (1,000 m):  0.94 seconds
   2,190 yards (2,000 m):  1.73 seconds
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Range
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Elevation With 0.94 lbs. (0.425 kg) API Penetrator
Maximum Effective Range about 2,200 yards (2,000 m)
Min/Max Range 160 to 3,300 yards (150 to 3,000 m)
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Mount / Turret Data
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Designation Goalkeeper
Weight  On Mount:  14,018 lbs. (6,358 kg) (incl. 1,190 rounds of ammunition)
Off Mount:  7,766 lbs. (3,523 kg)
Total: 21,784 lbs. (9,881 kg)
Elevation -25 / +85 degrees
Elevation Rate 80 degrees per second
Train 360 degrees
Train Rate 100 degrees per second
Gun recoil N/A
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Data from
"The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems 1991/92" by Norman Friedman
"Rapid Fire" by Anthony G. Williams
"Jane's Ammunition Handbook 2000-2001" edited by Terry J. Gander and Charles Q. Cutshaw
General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products (GDATP) Press Releases
Thales-Nederland Press Releases