The weapon is a modular system consisting of a command module and typically two combat modules, as in the case of the two
Sovremennyy-class destroyers
Taizhou (ex-
Vnushitelnyy) and
Ningbo (ex-
Vechnyy) in Chinese service, although the number can be as many as 8 in the case of
Admiral Kuznetsov. The command module detects and tracks threats, distributes targeting data to the combat modules, and interrogates the
IFF system of approaching threats. The command module has a 3-D target detection radar, and an all weather multi-band integrated control system. Depending on the number of installed combat modules, the system can engage multiple targets simultaneously. The combat modules automatically track using either radar, an electro-optronic control system (such as
FLIRs) or both, and then engages targets with missiles and guns. The combat modules are typically equipped with two
GSh-30K (AO-18K) six-barrel 30 mm
rotary cannons, with a link-less feeding mechanism, and two
9M311-1 missile launchers equipped with 4 ready-to-fire missiles each and fed by a reloading system storing 32 missiles in ready-to-launch containers. The guns used in the Kortik are the GSh-30K six-barrel 30 mm rotary cannon. Individually, each GSh-30K has a higher rate of fire compared to guns used by other CIWS such as the
GAU-8 on the
Goalkeeper and the
M61 Vulcan on the
Phalanx. Along with a high rate of fire, the fairly heavy round () used by the Kortik is comparable to the
DPU rounds of the GAU-8 Avenger (), although the muzzle velocity (and therefore both the kinetic energy and effective range) is slightly lower, partially offsetting the high caliber and rate of fire. The missiles used in the Kortik are the 9M311, which are also used on the
2K22 Tunguska. The 9M311 is an ACLOS guided missile. The warhead weighs and is either laser or radio fused. The warhead is a
continuous-rod warhead with a steel cube
fragmentation layer. The detonation of the warhead will form a complete circle of fragmentation that is 5 meters in radius, and damage or destroy anything in that circle. The combination of the missiles and guns provides more comprehensive protection when compared to other
CIWS utilising either missiles or guns only. The system's combined kill probability is allegedly 0.96 to 0.99. ==Variants==