The US Navy has ordered four additional Mk 45 naval guns to be delivered by BAE Systems under a $46.8 million contract option.
The contract modification calls for upgrading existing guns to the Mod 4 configuration to increase the firepower and extend the range of the weapons.
According to BAE Systems, this modification to the initial 10-gun contract brings the full value of the award to $176.8 million for the 14 guns.
The Mk 45 is a 5-inch fully automatic naval gun in use by the US Navy and other allied navies. Updates to the Mod 4 configuration include a structurally strengthened gun mount and more advanced electronics.
With its stronger mount, the gun can achieve 50 percent higher firing energy, allowing munitions or projectiles to travel faster and farther, BAE Systems says. Its new fully digitized control system also provides significantly greater computing power and features a touch-screen user interface.
“The Mk 45 is the industry standard for large caliber naval guns, and the Mod 4 updates make the system easier to integrate onto the ship and more adaptable to advanced munitions,” said Joseph Senftle, vice president and general manager of Weapon Systems at BAE Systems.
Work on the Mk 45 Mod 4 conversions will be performed at the BAE Systems’ facility in Louisville, Kentucky, with support from the company’s supplier base, and is expected to be complete by 2021.