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.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Can the West keep up with China’s “XXL” uncrewed submarines?]()
Can the West keep up with China’s “XXL” uncrewed submarines?
The UK, the US and Australia have all been working on “extra-large” uncrewed underwater vehicles, but China’s reported development of a significantly larger capability demonstrates the country’s rapid advancement in underwater warfare.
-
![Is the US Navy’s Golden Fleet initiative achievable?]()
Is the US Navy’s Golden Fleet initiative achievable?
The effort to provide the US Navy with Trump-class battleships might face financial, production and doctrinal obstacles.
-
![How will SAFE shape naval procurement for Canada and its highest-receiving members?]()
How will SAFE shape naval procurement for Canada and its highest-receiving members?
Canada’s inclusion on the EU’s Security Action for Europe initiative is set to enhance the country’s defence procurement strategy with important implications for some of its naval programmes, while Poland and Romania have also secured significant SAFE funding.
-
![Thales wins DE&S contract for portable autonomous command centres]()
Thales wins DE&S contract for portable autonomous command centres
The agreement to provide portable autonomous command centres to the UK Royal Navy will enhance the service’s Mine Counter Measure operations and further integrate autonomous and uncrewed systems into its fleet.
