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Remote controlled weapon station

Weapon system for combat platforms

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
2 min read
Source updated June 26, 2026
Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

A remote controlled weapon station (RCWS), remotely operated weapon system (ROWS), or remote weapon system (RWS), is a remotely operated light or medium-caliber weapon system, often equipped with a fire-control system, that can be installed on a ground combat vehicle or sea- and air-based combat platform.

Such equipment is used on modern military vehicles, as it allows a gunner to remain in the relative protection of the vehicle. It may be retrofitted onto existing vehicles, for example, the CROWS system is being fitted to American Humvees.

01Examples

A heavy FLW 200 made by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann for the German Army
A heavy FLW 200 made by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann for the German Army
A light remote weapon system made by OTO Melara Iberica
A light remote weapon system made by OTO Melara Iberica
A Sea Rogue fitted with a 12.7 mm machine gun mounted on a Valour class frigate of the South African Navy
A Sea Rogue fitted with a 12.7 mm machine gun mounted on a Valour class frigate of the South African Navy
Watch videos about Remote controlled weapon stationExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Remote controlled weapon station”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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Gun turret

A gun turret is a mounting platform from which weapons can be fired that affords protection, visibility and the ability to turn and aim. A modern gun turret is generally a rotatable weapon mount that houses the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in some degree of azimuth and elevation (cone of fire).

Sentry gun

A sentry gun is a weapon that automatically aims and fires at targets that are detected by sensors. The earliest functioning military sentry guns were the close-in weapon systems point-defense weapons, such as the Phalanx CIWS, used for detecting and destroying short range incoming missiles and enemy aircraft, first used exclusively on naval assets, and now also as land-based defenses.

Close-in weapon system

A close-in weapon system is a point-defense weapon system for detecting and destroying short-range incoming missiles and enemy aircraft which have penetrated the outer defenses, typically mounted on a naval ship. Nearly all classes of larger modern warships along with many other warships are equipped with some kind of CIWS device.