The USS Mustin, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy, remains the only warship equipped with the Mk 38 Mod 4 anti-aircraft system, which is effective against drones, according to an assessment published by the naval news outlet TWZ.
The Mk 38 Mod 4 combines a Mk 44 Mod 3 Bushmaster II automatic cannon, which fires 30-millimeter rounds, with an M2 machine gun firing 12.7-millimeter rounds mounted above the cannon's barrel. Target acquisition relies on an electro-optical system installed separately from the combat module, and an operator controls the turret from a remote command station.
Part of a wider defense push
TWZ said the introduction of the Mk 38 Mod 4 on Arleigh Burke-class destroyers is part of broader efforts to improve and expand the ships' close-in defense capabilities, particularly given the growing threat posed by drones.
The Arleigh Burke class forms the backbone of the U.S. Navy's surface fleet and has been in service since the early 1990s. The destroyers are built around the Aegis combat system and are used for air defense, anti-submarine warfare and missile defense missions. The Mk 38 series of remote weapon stations has been fitted to a range of Navy vessels over the years to counter small boats, aircraft and, increasingly, unmanned drones.
China built a mock destroyer
The report on the Mustin's turret comes after it emerged in June that the People's Liberation Army of China had built a mock-up of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the Taklamakan Desert. TWZ noted the structure could be used to practice targeting potential objectives.
The Mustin's status as the sole carrier of the Mk 38 Mod 4 suggests the system remains in a limited or early stage of deployment across the Navy's destroyer fleet, even as unmanned aerial threats to warships draw increasing attention from military planners.
