The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has awarded a contract to BAE Systems to modernise the Mk45 guns installed onboard the Anzac-class vessels.
Under the five-year contract, BAE will provide in service support, removal, replacement and overhaul services for the Mk45 gun for the RAN’s Anzac-class ships.
BAE Systems maritime director Bill Saltzer said that the contract follows completion of ex-USN Radford gun and loader for Anzac-class ship HMAS Stuart, which is now ready for deployment.
"Our technical services team demonstrated its capability by overcoming the challenges the project presented, including major realignment requirements when fitting the gun and loader on HMAS Stuart," Saltzer said.
The company will overhaul the remaining guns for the Anzac fleet at its shipyard in Williamstown, Victoria followed by installation on to the ships when they are dry berthed at the company’s shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia, in conjunction with the ASMD upgrade.
Designed and developed by BAE Systems Land & Armaments, the 127mm mk45 mod 2 gun can fire at a rate of 20 rounds a minute to a range of over 20km.
"Accomplishing the gun overhauls concurrently with the ASMD upgrade will ensure these vital assets will not be out of service for any additional length of time," Saltzer said.
"It also means the navy can also be confident that when the ships resume operation they will have both the benefits of the ASMD upgrade and a fully re-conditioned gun with an extended length of service."
The 118m-long Anzac-class frigates vessels have a displacement capacity of 3,600t, a speed of 27k, with a maximum range of 11,000km and can accommodate a crew of 163.
Image: installing Mk45 gun onto a ship. Photo: courtesy of BAE Systems.
