HMS Iron Duke, a Royal Navy Type 23 frigate, recently conducted a live gunnery exercise to maintain its operational readiness and ensure the crew’s combat skills remain sharp, according to a tweet from the vessel’s official account.
The exercise, which involved the ship’s 4.5-inch Mark 8 naval gun, was part of routine drills designed to test both the crew and equipment in realistic combat scenarios.
An aWEsome period!
✅ A Baltics blast 💥 4.5 gunnery
✅ Weapon Charge Qualification completed for our CISE – BZ! @womenindefenceMore to follow from operations with our allies at sea over the weekend 👀#StrongerTogether #NATO pic.twitter.com/F8JsHrSV08
— HMS Iron Duke (@HMSIronDuke) December 13, 2024
The 4.5-inch Mark 8 is a naval gun used by the Royal Navy, designed to engage surface, air, and shore targets. It first entered service in 1972, replacing the older World War II-era 4.5-inch Mark I–V naval guns. The Mark 8 has a longer 55-calibre barrel and is used on destroyers and frigates in the Royal Navy. Developed by Vickers Ltd and the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment, it emphasised reliability and the ability to fire quickly from a shutdown state, making it effective in missile defence.
The gun system is semi-automatic and incorporates both electrical and hydraulic components, allowing for a reduced crew. While the gun itself is controlled from the operations room, personnel in the gunbay load the ammunition, with the system capable of firing around 25 rounds per minute.
The design prioritised a lower rate of fire in favour of accuracy and readiness, and the gun has a range of up to 27.5 kilometres with high-explosive extended-range ammunition. Early models faced reliability issues, particularly during the Falklands War, but a significant modification in 1998 improved performance, including the replacement of the hydraulic system with an electric one.
The gun’s Mod 1 variant, introduced in the late 1990s, included a new gunhouse with a reduced radar cross-section and an all-electric loading mechanism. The Mark 8 is primarily used for fire support against land and sea targets, though its capacity for anti-aircraft missions is debated. It has been nicknamed the “Kryten gun” by Royal Navy personnel due to its distinctive appearance, similar to the character from the British TV series Red Dwarf.
Umm…previous accounts have essentially stated HMS Iron Duke is being held together by bailing wire, duct tape and prayer. Would it be more appropriate to sail in the relatively placid Med or Carribean? 🤔
Believe baltic is a calm pond, med and Cbean passage winter N Atlantic inadvisable. Plus floating most tired gunship close to Russia least liability in case of return fire. 🙂
“making it effective in missile defence.”
This site seems to be going down in quality.