UK puts Goalkeeper CIWS mountings up for sale

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has advertised the availability of Goalkeeper 30 mm close-in weapon systems (CIWSs) for government-to-government sale as the type's retirement from Royal Navy (RN) service approaches.

With the withdrawal of the final Type 22 frigate in June 2011 and the retirement of the last Invincible-class aircraft carrier in 2014, the number of Goalkeeper mountings in the active fleet will dwindle to just two: those fitted on board the assault ship HMS Bulwark .

Given the disproportionate logistics support and training costs associated with keeping such a small population in service, the MoD has taken the decision to retire Goalkeeper from RN service in 2015.

Originally ordered in 1984 from what was then Hollandse Signaalapparaten (now Thales Nederland) under a reciprocal deal that saw the Netherlands government order Rolls-Royce Spey gas turbines, Goalkeeper was intended to address gaps in RN ship self-defence identified during the 1982 Falklands (Malvinas) conflict. Fifteen mountings were purchased, being fitted to two Invincible-class carriers (three systems each), four Type 22 Batch III frigates (one system per ship) and two Albion-class assault ships (two systems each), plus a shore reference site.