The Royal Navy’s next-generation warship, HMS Glasgow, is one step closer to being fully operational, as two sailors have completed intensive training to operate the ship’s new 5-inch Medium Calibre Gun, according to a Royal Navy news update.
This marks a significant milestone for the Royal Navy, as the new gun is set to replace the long-serving 4.5-inch gun, which has been the Fleet’s mainstay since the 1970s.
Weapons engineers Petty Officers Dave Strachan and ‘Tiny’ Sanderson spent three months in San Diego, California, learning every aspect of the Mk45 Mod 4A gun, a weapon already in use on over 280 warships across 11 navies, including those of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and several NATO allies.
Their training covered basic operation, maintenance, defect analysis, and repair of the weapon system, which features an automated shell handling system that significantly reduces the manual workload for sailors during live operations.
“As we are both former 4.5-inch maintainers we had a good foundation of the skills and experience needed,” explained Petty Officer Strachan. “We were able to apply some of the knowledge we had previously gained and apply it to the areas that were common between both guns.”
The sailors’ training culminated in a four-hour multiple-choice exam and a practical assessment, during which they successfully demonstrated their ability to bring the gun online, simulate loading, and handle technical defects. Both passed the course with flying colours.
HMS Glasgow, the first of the new Type 26 frigates, is already equipped with the gun turret and automated handling system, although the barrel is yet to be installed. Live firing will not take place until sea trials commence later this decade.
The Mk45 Mod 4A gun offers significant upgrades over its predecessor, firing larger shells and providing more firepower for engaging enemy installations, drones, fast inshore attack craft, and hostile boats. Its automated system ensures a continuous supply of ammunition, reducing the need for manual loading and increasing the speed and efficiency of naval engagements.
Haha, multiple choice.
Do you put the round into the gun with the shell pointing:
A: Down the barrel and forwards
B: Back towards you
C: Sideways using a hammer.
4 hours sounds rough, though.
Are the barrels fitted in the turrets on our ships or do they come “fitted for” BUT…😉
Why don’t we buy the barrels but not the ships, and claim the barrels are “fitted for but not with the ships”? Got to be much cheaper, requires less manpower. Oh wait…….
…or⛵we could go green with Milliband.🤗
Multiple choice with negative marking for wrong answers eliminates guessing.
That is the hard core way of doing it.
I once got Minus 9 on a maths test during Tiffs course!
The joys of the RN doing trad maths and me doing modern maths at school.
I had to learn from scratch how to do integration and differentiation without using matrices which were to the RN, some sort of witchcraft!
Ugh
All of my physics teachers want to use integration but we only get taught it later this year.
Bit annoying because it’s stopping me learning fluid mechanics in Further.
I can honestly say I have never had the need to integrate, differentiate or calculate the magnetic flux density inside of a stator in a fine syncro chain on a gun control system or anything to do with boundary layer laminar flow in a hydraulic pipe feeding a flick rammer.
I have however removed and replaced plenty of fine Syncros, racked them set them up and conducted system alignment to within seconds of arc. I have also replaced pipes and fittings on hydraulic systems.
Its the kind of stuff that you get taught and then press memory dump after the exam because unless you are a design engineer you ain’t ever going to use it as a practical, hands getting dirty, maintenance or system engineer
So if both of them are on leave at the same time, the RN can’t fire its gun. 🤣
This will be a train the trainer situation so these ‘trainees’ will end up at the weapons engineering school as instructors.
So in effect “Top Gun”, I’ll get my coat.
That was definitely a mic drop moment 😂
the americans look like they don’t know what to do with their arms.
Yeh, typical the Brits are standing at ease..! Smart, though.
Cheers CR
The Brits chose the wrong five inch gun imo, they should have went with the lighter weight faster firing Italian mount like the Canadians did.
OT
I see that 744 NAS has successfully fired a Sea Venom from a Wildcat helicopter at a simulated target at Aberporth. FOC 2026 so light at the end of that tunnel…
Cheers CR