BAE to provide VLS Mk 41 missile canisters to US Navy
BAE Systems has received a contract modification to provide additional Vertical Launching System (VLS) Mk 41 missile canisters to the US Navy, the company said on 13 April.
The $52.9 million contract modification will see BAE produce canisters used to ship, store and launch various types of missiles from navy ships. The canisters are positioned within the Mk 41 VLS, which is located below a ship’s armoured deck.
Work on the contract modification will continue through June 2017, and the full contract will continue through June 2019.
VLS canisters serve as missile shipping and storage containers and, with a rocket motor exhaust, serve as a launch rail to support fly-out during missile firings. They also provide identification and firing support to multiple missile types, including Tomahawks, Standard Missile-3, Standard Missile-6, and SeaSparrow.
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