There are a few things almost all navalists will agree on.
1. A multi-purpose gun is the cornerstone to any useful warship.
2. We don’t have enough guns in the fleet, and with the ZUMWALT’s stillborn 155-mm promise, we are short of options.
Over and over again, the economy, effectiveness, and reliability of naval gunfire proves itself. In the modern age, from the Al Faw, to Somalia, to the coast of Libya; 76mm, 100mm, and 5″ (127mm) have done more than they are given credit for for the US Navy and her allies.
With all that, we should be looking close at what Leonardo & BAE are offering;
BAE Systems and Leonardo have teamed to offer Leonardo’s Vulcano guided munitions to the U.S. Navy, the firms said on Wednesday.
Currently built to be fired from Leonardo’s 127mm naval gun, the team-up will see the munition adapted for firing from the BAE Systems-built Advanced Gun System (AGS) which is mounted on the U.S. Navy’s Zumwalt class of destroyers
The Vulcano munition will also be adapted for use on the BAE Mk 45 gun, the firms said.
…
The Vulcano munition is steered by movable fins designed to be guided by laser and infrared systems.Leonardo, formerly Finmeccanica, has invested for a number of years in guided munition technology, and the Italian Navy has signed up for Vulcano, as well contributing to test firing programs.
Relatively low technology risk, and we’d already have one NATO partner to work with, and maybe more.
Tell me the downside.
