Welcome to www.navalguns.co.uk the website that details the world class naval gun manufacturing capability at Barrow-in-Furness, NW England where "BAE Global Combat Systems: Weapons" division is developing a new 155mmm naval gun.
155mm Third Generation Maritime Fire Support (TMF)
The RN aspires to introduce a new 155mm gun to service as part of the incremental acquisition plan for the Type 45 destroyer.
Although the first Type 45s will enter service with the existing Mk 8 Mod 1 gun, space and weight margins in the design will provide for a successor 155mm system to be fitted in subsequent ships and retrofitted to those vessels initially deploying with the Mk 8 Mod 1.Factors leading to the need for a gun include:
•Future Surface Combatant to replace Type 23/22
•Enduring need for Naval gun capability identified with capability requirements evolving: effect, range, rate of fire
The Barrow facility is involved in testing a demonstrator 155mm naval gun which adapts AS90 mobile land based gun technology for use at sea. This Phase 3 is a full scale Technology Demonstrator Programme, with a trials gun mount and firing trials at Eskmeals range in Cumbria.
A key driver for the programme is to examine the feasibility of using standard 155mm modular charge ammunition in a naval environment. This would provide commonality with land-based ammunition stocks, thereby leveraging existing development efforts and driving down cost.
Here are the advantages of a British made 155mm naval gun.
For a relatively small investment - the UK would retain it's own Artillery design and manufacturing capability and ensure that the RN ships would be fitted with a UK designed, manufactured and supported Gun system.
Far greater terminal effect, increase in Range and Accuracy, (REDUCED COST PER ENGAGEMENT)
Common projectile with UK Land forces means cheaper Ammunition (REDUCED THROUGH LIFE COST)
Combining AS90 Ordnance and 4.5" Mod 1 Mount, 70% re-use of material leading to a much reduced UPC, (REDUCED ACQUISITION COSTS - Value for money)
Same "Foot-print" as 4.5" Mk 8 Guns means simple retro-fit is possible- No need for a costly re-fit if RN decide to fit to T45 Hulls
Technology benefits could also be transferred to other Artillery pieces, I.e. Laser Ignition and Barrel Thermal Management could be employed on AS90
In a nut-shell - Cheaper to buy, cheaper to run - and far more effective, (All of this supported by the several OA studies completed over the past 10 years)
Replacing the current 4.5-inch gun with a 155mm system would
increase the range and
effect on targets while also
reducing costs by
using the same gun and ammunition as the British Army.
"In addition to providing the Royal Navy with a potential low-cost route to a significant enhancement in capability, this program will help to sustain the U.K. industrial capacity to design, upgrade and manufacture artillery.
On 26 February 2008 Commander Clive Murgatroyd of Above Water Effects in the MOD’s Equipment Capability organization said:
“ the current 4.5 inch [11cm] gun ... is limited in range and precision…. The team at BAe Systems , Barrow-in-Furness, is making good progress, and has already designed some elegant engineering solutions, making the return of a 6 inch (15cm) naval gun look more viable as each phase progresses.”
