BAE Systems has been awarded a contract by General Dynamics to provide two additional Mk110 Naval Gun Systems for the Independence variant of the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship.
The company say that the additional guns are part of a follow-on to a current contract, bringing the total number of Mk110 systems to 15 for the Independence variant.
“BAE Systems’ Mk110 Naval Gun, together with our advanced 3P programmable multi-purpose ammunition, provides a unique capability to address multiple air, sea, and land threats,” said Lena Gillström, general manager of Weapon Systems Sweden at BAE Systems.
“This additional Mk 110 order for the LCS is evidence that this system is among the best medium-calibre naval guns in the world. Sailors benefit from its adaptability, robust endurance, and pointing accuracy, even in high wind waves and swells.”
According to BAE:
“The fully automatic Mk110 gun system, known internationally as the Bofors 57Mk3, is the deck gun of choice for the LCS. It is a multi-mission, medium-caliber shipboard weapon, effective against air, surface, or ground threats without requiring multiple round types.
The system is capable of firing up to 220 rounds per minute at a range of more than 9 nautical miles using BAE Systems’ six-mode programmable, pre-fragmented, and proximity-fused (3P) ammunition.”
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A contender for the T-31 perhaps??
Good question. Would this 57mm constitute a close in weapon system able to provide ‘protection against air attacks as expected in constabulary operations’?
More great news. When will it end?
Too small for gun fire support I would suggest.
You want T31 in a NGS role?
Commonality is the name of the game. Perhaps upgun the Rivers 1/2 and put on T31… but we know that.s never going to happen.
Afternoon
Adaptable yes. Greater than 76mm for NGS
I’ve read somewhere that the 57mm gun takes up more space below decks than the 76mm. Anyone able to confirm that?
Wouldn’t be surprised, sustaining a 220rpm fire rate for a practical length of time would require a pretty impressive ammo handling setup
Yes and both turrets weigh 6.5 tons empty. I can’t see any space or cost advantage of the 57mm.
Not really much to do with the U.K, the corporate structure of BAE means that all the benefits to this stay within the US.
Some questions. So does anyone know if there is a coherent strategy for replacing the Mk8 4.5in? If so is it simply 1 for 1 with the Mk45 5in or is the Type 31 going tempt the RN to introduce an additional calibre gun? Given that Type 31 will have auto directed 30mm and mini guns on each side aren’t these enough to protect against FAC? And if Sea Ceptor is fitted for air attacks ( and since it is supposed to be budgetted for all the Type 23s why wouldn’t it?) what advantage (other than not being european) does… Read more »
The gun is made in Sweden, where it was designed, so it is a European weapon. Of course, the US required it to be made in the USA if their navy was to use it – as they did for the Oto 76/62. In theory the 57mm has a greater hitting power than the 76/62 and Mk8, as it fires 220 round/min against 120 and 25, but how long could it keep that up? Maximum and effective ranges for HE shells are similar for the 57 and 76, but the Mk8 can fire a lot further. This gun could meet… Read more »
The gun (Not the mount or control system) is the same basic design as the standard L70 40mm Bofors of WW2 vintage that I first worked on in the early 1980s prior to the introduction of newer weapons post Falklands. The feed system and servo system are obviously modern and use programmable shells to enhance lethality. The barrel like the L70 40mm is air cooled only which will cause issues. 220 rounds per min is a figure that is of little practical use and is just a headline grabbing figure. You would never go for a sustained 220 RPM…there are… Read more »
@Gunbuster and Marcus. Thanks. I think I understand selection of the 30mm for River 2; for policing work. And I understand why you would need the 4.5 or 5in for NGS. But I am still confused by the published RFI. The doc stipulates a core requirement for a medium calibre gun of at least 57mm, while the adaptable requirement for a NGS gun of greater than 76mm is indeed consistent with either 4.5 or 5in. So far so good. But as my old boss used to say I have an itch I can’t scratch: could it happen that because of… Read more »
Could you see a package deal for all five ships where fit outs could be different. Say for the fixed price bid for 5 ships you get 3 or 4 with 57mm main gun and 1 or 2 with the 5 inch gun?