UK’s $1 billion AUKUS support request signals strong ongoing US collaboration
The latest foreign military sales request from the UK has implications for the future of the programme and collaboration between the three nations.
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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