BAE Systems to upgrade Mk 45s for US Navy

Above: The Mk 45 is the lightest, most compact five inch (127mm) fully automatic naval gun in the world, built to integrate precision guided munitions with minimal gun modifications to ensure the US Navy and their allies, have the advanced firepower they need.
Courtesy BAE Systems / US Navy Photo

On 30th September, BAE Systems received a $23.5 million modification to a $47 million contract awarded at the end of July, bringing the total value to over $70 million. Under the contract, BAE Systems will upgrade and overhaul existing systems to the Mk 45 Mod 4 configuration.
 
The upgrade to the Mk 45 Mod 4 configuration includes a 62-calibre barrel and a mechanically strengthened gun mount. It also features a fully digital control system that easily integrates targeting and fire control data. Together, these upgrades allow the use of modernised munitions with 50% greater firing energy and prepare for future precision-guided munitions with unprecedented ranges.
 
Brent Butcher, vice president of Weapon Systems at BAE Systems, said: "Events in the Red Sea this year have underscored the importance of firepower aboard US Navy ships.

“Equipped with the latest configuration of the Mk45 gun system, the men and women in the Navy have the capabilities to protect themselves at sea. We continue our commitment to providing the latest naval gun technology, including advanced munitions, to US Sailors and their allies.”
 
Upgrades and overhauls to the Mk 45 are a cost-effective solution to ensure that US Navy Sailors have the modern long-range strike and air defence capability that they require, ensuring peak performance from a deep magazine of advanced five inch projectiles that are easily replenished at-sea. By upgrading these platforms, Sailors will receive the latest innovative technology that will support advanced munitions and future mission capabilities at a lower cost than a new gun system.
 
Work on the contract will take place at the BAE Systems production facility in Louisville, Kentucky and will be completed by the end of 2028.