Euronaval 2012 : BAE Advances Naval Gun Design

BAE Systems is due to begin sea trials of its new Bofors 40 Mk 4 Naval Gun System in Sweden.

Speaking at the Euronaval exhibition in Paris, France on 23 October, Ulf Einefors, director of integrated systems at BAE Systems Weapons Systems and Support, said the system is based on the company's Bofors 40mm design but with a 40% reduction in weight, volume and price.

'We are basically taking a 1970s/80s design and bringing it into the 21st century,' Einefors explained. 'What we decided to do a couple of years ago was to integrate new technology. We saw a lot of changes in mission type.'

The week of sea tests will take place north of Gothenburg in Sweden, and will follow land tests that were conducted from last year and finished in September. 

The system is currently being installed on HMS Jagaren in anticipation of the trials that are being conducted from October 29 in co-operation with the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) and the Swedish Navy.  

The stabilised system was completely self-funded by the BAE, and the only parts that remain the same as the previous configuration are the actual gun and the elevating mast. 

BAE Systems has reused most of the most recent version of the elevating system that was used in the 40mm Mk4 developed for the Royal Swedish Army Combat Vehicle 90, for which 400 guns have been built. 

All 40mm L/70 ammunition can be used with system, and it can fire between 30 and 300 rounds per minute. Without ammunition it weighs less than 2,300kg, in comparison to the old Bofors that weighed some 4,000kg. 

'We wanted to maintain the on-board amount of ammunition,' Einefors explained. It can be reloaded from above or underneath, and can be remotely controlled like a remote weapon station. An operator station can also be installed, for which the human/machine interface just needs to be transferred inside.

The next step in the development programme would be to add a simple EO fire control designator, he added. 

Einefors hoped for the first order for the system to be 'early next year', and BAE expects to  be able to deliver the first system some 16 months after. 

If the trials continue to be a success, the company is planning to reduce the size, weight and volume of its 57mm variant in line with what it has done with the 40mm.