United Defense Delivers Mk 45 Mod 4 Naval Gun Prototype for Extended Range Naval Gunfire Testing.MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6, 1998--United Defense this week delivered the first complete Mk 45 Mod 4 Naval Gun System prototype for test firing at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Noun 1. Naval Surface Warfare Center - the agency that provides scientific and engineering and technical support for all aspects of surface warfare NSWC (NSWC Noun 1. NSWC - the agency that provides scientific and engineering and technical support for all aspects of surface warfare Naval Surface Warfare Center ), Dahlgren, Va. The Mk 45 Mod 4 is the latest version of the US Navy's widely used 5-Inch Naval Gun System from United Defense. Together with the new Extended Range Guided Munition The Extended Range Guided Munition is a precision guided rocket-assisted 5-inch artillery shell under development by Raytheon for the U.S. Navy. The developmental round is designated EX 171.[1] Specification
The Mk 45 Mod 4 prototype delivery will allow NSWC firing tests to examine all aspects of the improved gun system's performance. The Mk 45 Mod 4 prototype incorporates strengthened structural components, a lengthened gun barrel, and newly redesigned housing, breechblock, slide, and recoil components to accommodate increased chamber pressure and greater recoil impulse required to fire the EX171 Extended Range Guided Munition (ERGM ERGM Extended Range Guided Munition ERGM Exponential Random Graph Model ) up to 63 nautical miles. The Mk 45 Mod 4 prototype also includes a new control system. "For land-based tests at NSWC, the Mk 45 Mod 4 Naval Gun System prototype will be mounted on a specially constructed test stand designed to simulate the structure of a ship," explained CAPT Dennis Morral, US Navy Program Manager for Naval Surface Fire Support Fire provided by Navy surface gun and missile systems in support of a unit or units. Also called NSFS. See also fire support. (NSFS NSFS Naval Surface Fire Support NSFS Name System File System NSFS Nullsoft Full Screen NSFS Nist Smart File System ). "It will be able to fire munitions with nearly twice the energy of previous Mk 45's, which currently have a maximum range of about 13 miles." The MK 45 Mod 4 prototype delivery and testing will be followed by delivery of a Mk 45 Mod 4 pre-production gun system in May 1999 for installation on DDG 81 or DDG 82 and sea-based tests. The pre-production system will also include a new low radar cross-section gun shield, ERGM initialization interface, ammunition identification capabilities, and interactive electronic technical manuals. Combined with ERGM, the 5-Inch 62-Caliber Mk 45 Mod 4 Naval Gun will provide the Navy with all-weather, day or night, over-the-horizon NSFS mission firepower in the early part of the next decade. Plans call for the Mk 45 Mod 4 to be introduced to the fleet in the year 2000 on US Navy DDG 51 destroyers beginning with DDG 81. The US Navy is also planning to retrofit 44 existing Mk 45 Gun Systems on 22 AEGIS-Class cruisers to the new Mod 4 configuration. The lightweight, fully automatic Mk 45 naval gun mount is designed, developed, produced and supported by United Defense, Armament Systems Division, and has equipped the Navy's cruisers and destroyers since the early 1970s. Mk 45 Mods 0 - 2 guns are currently in service with the US Navy and in the fleets of Australia, Greece, New Zealand, Thailand and Turkey. United Defense, Armament Systems Division, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, operates one of the largest engineering and manufacturing facilities in the Minneapolis area. Armament Systems Division currently employs 1,600 people in the design, manufacture, and support of defense systems for the Armed Forces of the United States A term used to denote collectively all components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. See also United States Armed Forces. and allied nations. United Defense is the largest manufacturer of tracked, armored combat vehicles and medium-caliber naval guns in the United States, and is a major company in the international defense marketplace. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, United Defense employs more than 7,200 people with major development, manufacturing and service sites in Minneapolis, Minnesota; York, Pennsylvania; San Jose and Santa Clara, California Santa Clara, California (IPA: /ˌsæntəˈklærə/) , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. ; Anniston, Alabama; Aiken, South Carolina Aiken is a city in Aiken County, South Carolina and is part of the CSRA. The population was 25,337 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Aiken CountyGR6, and is the site of the University of South Carolina at Aiken. ; Louisville, Kentucky, and Aberdeen, South Dakota Aberdeen, a city and the county seat of Brown County, South Dakota, USA, about 125 mi (200 km) N.E. of Pierre. Settled in 1880, it was incorporated in 1882. The population was 24,658 at the 2000 census. The American News is the local newspaper. . -0- Note: Photos available upon request. Contact Ken Tillges at 612/572-7920. Additional copies of text available, contact Larry Burt at 612/572-7938. CONTACT: United Defense Jeff Van Keuren, 612/572-6503 |
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