HMS Glasgow gets its smart gun

HMS Glasgow, the first of eight expected Type 26 frigates being built for the UK’s Royal Navy, has begun being fitted with the Mk 45 naval gun system from BAE Systems.

While all the vessels in the Type 26 fleet will eventually carry the Mk 45, the Glasgow – as the first to be built and the furthest along in its development – will act as the tester vessel for the gun’s capabilities and its fitting process.

The Mk 45 gun system combines the 5-inch, 62-caliber Mk 45 Mod 4A naval gun with a fully automated Ammunition Handling System (AHS). BAE Systems claimed the AHS could automatically reload the gun in all sea states, and remain reliable under intense pressure of use and environment.

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The AHS can handle all varieties of 5-inch munitions currently in service, meaning it should make the firing operation both simpler and safer for sailors in engagement situations, according to the company. Installing and testing the gun and its AHS will also show the Royal Navy what the process entails, so it can be smoothly replicated on future vessels in the Type 26 fleet.

Brent Butcher, vice-president of weapon systems at BAE Systems, said the installation on HMS Glasgow “laid the groundwork to ensure the Royal Navy’s most advanced frigates have the capabilities they require”.

BAE Systems has a US$219 million contract to equip the next batch of the Type 26 frigates with the Mk 45 and AHS, including HMS Cardiff and HMS Belfast. The initial order of eight Type 26 frigates will eventually be phased in to replace the Duke-class Type 23s.

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Mk 45