Page 45 - NAVAL FORCES 03/2017

Expeditionary Warfare

EXCALIBUR N5 may also provide an option to four different ammunition types. It can thus surface targets well beyond the horizon. The
for the USN’s 155mm Advanced Gun System use the most appropriate projectiles for each development by BAE Systems of the Hyper
(AGS) on the new “Zumwalt” destroyers. Its target or mission in rapid succession. Ammu- Velocity Projectile (HVP) under a USN con-
Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP) nition types include HE-PD, HE-VT (proximi- tract is an effort to do this. A BAE Systems Features
round was last priced at over US$800,000 per ty fused), HE-CVT and illumination. spokesperson described the HVP as, “a
round and deemed too expensive to field. The VOLCANO round provides an extend- next-generation, common, low-drag, guided
Oto Melara (now Leonardo) in Italy has ed range of 70km with its free-flight sub-cali- projectile capable of being applied to a num-
been developing and supplying naval guns bre projectile. It also offers an INS/GPS war- ber of gun systems, including the Navy’s 5in
since 1905. Its 76mm rapid fire naval gun head guided version with 20m CEP accuracy gun, USN, Marine Corps, and Army 155mm
is in service with over 60 navies to address while further increasing the maximum range artillery systems and future electromagnetic
direct fire targets from surface craft to air- to 100km for 54 calibre and 120km for the 64 (EM) railguns.”
craft and missiles. Its standard HE round calibre guns. The gun can engage a range of The HVP for the 5in naval gun will have a
has a maximum range of 16km while the land targets from area targets with a radius of range of 48-80km with 20+m accuracy using
VOLCANO extended-range version is twice 250m (tank formations or a logistics installa- INS/GPS guidance. It, like VOLCANO, uses
that. VOLCANO also has INS and GPS pre- tion), point targets with a radius of 100m (a a sub-calibre projectile. BAE Systems ex-
cision guidance. Although not optimised for command post), and precision targets of 10m plained the Mach 3 velocity, vertical approach
bombardment, the 76 could be effective in radius (as bunkers or vehicles). The near-ver- to the target, explosive bursting change and
suppression of near-shore targets, particularly tical overhead trajectory of the VOLCANO advanced fusing combine to give the HVP pro-
with its rapid firing rate. Being mounted on further enhances the target effect. According jectile exceptional target effect. Plus, the cost
vessels down to corvette size means that more to naval weapons experts, the 127mm’s 32rpm per round could be below U$50,000. The Rail
ships are available; plus, it constitutes a ship firing rate would allow the gun to deliver Gun, also being developed by BAE Systems,
that commanders might be more prepared to 300kg of HE onto a target in 10 seconds. This uses the same approach but with a Mach 7
employ where close fire support might be re- volume of concentrated firepower would have velocity.
quired. The Leonardo 127mm/64 gun, howev- a devastating effect on opponents. The promise is that greater range, higher
er, is preferable for shore fire support. It is firing rates and more accuracy will compen-
a dual- purpose gun with an effective range Future Technologies sate for fewer shipboard guns. In fact, expe-
of 30km with standard ammunition and over and Techniques ditionary force fires capability is benefiting
100km with the VOLCANO round. It is used from the return to guns to counter the latest
on the destroyers and frigates of ten navies. The push to significantly increase the range surface threats. That they draw from improve-
The 127mm/64 LW (Lightweight) model uses of naval guns relates directly to the prolifera- ments in the guns and ammunition offers con-
four drum magazines of 14 rounds each, al- tion of long-range anti-ship missiles. Greater fidence that naval fire support capabilities will
lowing immediate selection and firing of up standoff allows engagement of land and continue to be available for some time. NAFO

Russia’s Navy displayed its land strike capability in October 2015
when it launched 26 3M-54 KALIBR land attack missiles from
the Caspian Sea against targets in Syria.
KALIBR has a 500kg warhead flying sub sonic until its terminal
approach when a booster takes it to supersonic speed.

NAVAL FORCES III/2017 43