BAE, Leonardo partner on precision-guided munitions
BAE Systems and Leonardo are partnering to develop new precision-guided munitions for use with large-calibre weapon systems, BAE Systems announced on 28 June.
The programme will focus on adaptations and derivatives of Leonardo’s current Vulcano line of precision-guided artillery ammunition.
The new munitions would be used in a variety of gun systems, including the standard MK-45 naval gun and the BAE Advanced Gun System.
In addition to naval guns, the programme will also focus on providing improved ranges for ground-based 155mm artillery systems, including all variants of the M777 and M109 howitzers used by the US and its allies.
During testing, the 155mm Vulcano has achieved launch accelerations that support maximum engagement ranges similar to distances required for the former Long Range Land Attack Projectile programme. The Mk 45 naval gun provides the potential to fire the five-inch Vulcano at 20 rounds per minute to a maximum range over three times greater than existing munitions.
Joe Senftle, VP and general manager of Weapon Systems at BAE Systems, said: ‘As a leading global provider and integrator of all major calibre weapon systems, we are expertly positioned to integrate mission-driven, advanced and affordable munitions like Vulcano into land and naval gun systems’.
The companies will also look to offer an enhanced guidance and navigation unit, including semi-active laser and infrared seeker options designed to ensure pinpoint accuracy and provide moving-target capability to address air-, land- and sea-based threats from land and naval weapons.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition]()
Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition
Australia’s mine countermeasure capability remains in flux as the Huon-class nears retirement, but accelerated investment in autonomous systems is opening a path for industry.
-
![Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?]()
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.
-
![How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?]()
How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?
With Canada committed to its River-class replacement and the USN pursuing a lower-cost frigate, Rheinmetall will need to demonstrate where the GMF 140 can fill a capability gap in the North American fleet.
-
![Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment]()
Australian industry programme builds pipeline for Virginia-class sustainment
Australian businesses can now bid to support Virginia-class submarine sustainment in Western Australia, as momentum around the Henderson Defence Precinct also builds.
-
![South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest]()
South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest
Washington’s search for a foreign-built frigate could hand South Korea, Japan and Turkey a larger prize than a double-hull order: a foothold inside the US shipbuilding industrial base.
