Upgraded MK 45 guns for US Navy
BAE Systems will upgrade five Mk 45 naval gun systems to the Mod 4 configuration for the US Navy, the company announced on 22 July.
Under the $70.6 million contract the company will carry out the MK 45 Mod 4 upgrades by the end of 2023.
The upgrade increases the gun system’s firepower and range by adding a structurally strengthened gun mount. The configuration increases firing energy by 50 percent, enabling munitions to travel faster and farther. A new fully digitised control system provides significantly greater computing power and features a touch-screen user interface.
MK 45 guns are deployed on the US Navy’s fleet of guided-missile Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. This upgrade work will extend the guns’ service life.
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