Mk45 Gun and Handling System Offer Critical Advantage
BAE Systems has received a $219 million contract to provide five Mk45 maritime indirect fires systems (MIFS) for Britain’s Type 26 frigates.
The system combines the 5in 62-calibre Mk45 Mod 4A naval gun system with a fully automated Ammunition Handling System (AHS). “We have innovated and customized the Mk 45 system to provide a critical and reliable fully-automatic ammunition handling solution that revolutionizes medium- and large-calibre naval gunnery,” explained Brent Butcher, VP of the weapon systems product line at BAE Systems, Inc. “The customized, lightweight and compact Mk45 gun system with AHS provides our customers commonality with the US Navy, a highly reliable system with security of lifecycle support, and access to future technology upgrades.”
The Type 26 frigates, the first of which is due to be delivered to the Royal Navy in the mid-2020s, will be configured primarily for the ASW mission, but will also be capable of countering piracy, for which a modernised naval gun system will be a useful capability. The MIFS will improve the Royal Navy’s operational capability across a range of roles.
Engineering and programme support for the new contract will be conducted at BAE Systems’ Minneapolis, MN and Louisville, KY production facilities. BAE Systems shipped the main equipment for the first MIFS system at the end of 2022, with installation to follow in 2023.
