HMS Argyll has been testing a new gunnery aid on the ranges at Aberporth in Cardigan Bay.
The Royal Navy say here that the frigate served as the testbed for a week of gunnery trials against small targets β speedboats, jet skis and the like β which are hard to hit, even with the panoply of small arms fitted to Royal Navy ships.
“The .50 calibre heavy machine-gun β known colloquially as the β50 calβ β is among the most potent weapons gunners can bring to bear, so when a potential improved mounting was developed for it, the Navyβs tech specialists, NavyX, wanted to test it. Known as the ASP β Agile, Small-deflection, Precision β mounting, it was tested on the ranges at Aberporth in Cardigan Bay by the Plymouth-based warship with gunners taking aim against both a static target and a moving radio-controlled target boat.
Over a week of trials, the team put down nearly 5,000 .5 calibre rounds β 3,500 fired using the new mounting, 1,450 from a heavy machine-gun on a traditional βsoftβ mounting to allow for comparisons. They conducted more than three dozen gunnery shoots in different scenarios and weather conditions to give both mountings a comprehensive workout.”
HMS Argyll Leading Seaman βSmudgeβ Smith was quoted as saying:
“Once I got used to it, the concept is very straight-forward. I found the ability to acquire targets a lot easier and more precise with the joystick on the mount itself. With the mount stabilising itself it allowed us to give a longer, more accurate burst of fire which enables us to eliminate threats quicker and at greater ranges. This would be a great addition in firepower to RN warships and enhances the shipβs force protection capabilities.”
Interesting low cost option. See Flexforce themselves tend to illustrate a more rigid deck mounting, even without their potential add ons.
Tiny bit more info here
https://www.defenseadvancement.com/news/gyro-stabilized-remote-control-weapons-mount-for-uk-mod/
A cheap way of making a well respected and effective weapon more effective in a wider range of situations.
And some more testing Sateside.
https://www.defensenews.com/land/2021/09/24/here-are-the-cheap-counter-drone-solutions-dod-tested-in-the-arizona-desert/
A more robust &/or tripod mount is an easy enough upgrade which could well be in consideration. HMS Argyle is showing the heaviest calibre on a standard post for now.
Links well to the article on the Gibraltar Squadron, I think.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m3XEjRzm_1A&t=8s
It’s hardly a standard post. The old posts where taken out of service and replaced with the new ones (Mk14 if I remember right) for a number of reasons. The new posts can take GPMG, Mini Gun and 50 cal and are far more robust. The addition of ballistic plates provides protection to the gunner. The old posts didn’t have that. The posts and plates are removable and can be stowed away when not required. This is especially relevant for the flight deck fits as these cannot be left up for Flying Stations and must be struck down. I have… Read more Β»
Afternoon,GB
T’was the evident flex during the below that led me to think mitigation mayn’t not come amiss
https://www.forces.net/news/watch-hms-argyll-tests-new-gunnery-aid
Rgs
Good to see. 50 cal but do they ever have any ballistic shielding? Always looks exposed on the to small arms and a lucky shot.
A possible fit for the type 31, and hopefully other RN frigates.
If it works well you could see this sort of thing on everything down to the new Gibraltar squadron boats.
Or ISIL pickup trucks and pirate dhowsβ¦π
Only until it breaks down.
Machine assisted human in-loop technology is nothing new, NHS have been using this type of tech. for key hole surgery for sometime. Surgen ‘moves’ the ‘tools’ and cameras around but the machine smooths out the shaky hands… Of course tanks have stabilised guns for decades.
Now that I think about I’m surprised it has not been deployed sooner…
Cheers CR
Power steering for the 50cal? Instead of or in addition to the minigun?
The miniguns are going, replaced by the fifty cal.
Probably in addition.
Minigun- lots of small rounds perfect for targets with minimal protection close in.
50cal- Only a few hundred rounds per minute. But the rounds have much more punch against say a steel hull.
Both systems useful and complementary.
Why not then use the GAU-19? Rate of fire is still very high, the round hits hard. Surely the best of both worlds?
https://flexforce.us/asp/
Thx
π
Has Wales surrendered yet?
Nope and the last time a foreign army landed in Wales, the French army surrended to Lord Cawdor in 1797 after seeing thousands of British redcoats. With no troops in the area, it is beleived that the french mistook Welsh women in their tradional red dresses as British redcoats
Don’t mess with the Welsh!
Especially when they’re holding a rugby ball !
True!
I would have thought it would have been more conductive if they tested their weapons at Lydd and Hythe Ranges
ο»Ώπο»Ώ
Ah Lydd, strange locals and crap shingle to do the COP course CFT lol!
Been in the FIBUA village there mate? I think it’s Lydd that has a basic one?
Itβs small but good enough for per-deployment box ticking lol! Always enjoyed it down there, reasonable ranges for some none standard stuff. But what a strange area, weird but also quite interesting. Was going to be flooded in the event of a German invasion I believe, along with other low lying areas. Under about 4 metres of water around the time of the Roman invasion. Bloody hell, here I go again being boring π!
Not at all mate.
So the future is comming round green world it is
HMS Woke will ride high on the seas lol
is it true that Sails are being retro-fitted to ships in case of power loss,
arrows and bows in case we need them,
one may conclude that a green navy instead of a blue one,, may well get mowed.
just saying like. mmmmmmm
Is this then a remote powered stabilised mount, more like the US Mk25 with the option for manual control than a “normal” mounting where it’s clamped to the rail or on a tripod mount? And is it intended to replace all other small weapons, act as a heavy supplement to the miniguns, etc?