The Government Circuit: Trump’s Trade War Disrupts the Electronics Ecosystem
Defense Speak Interpreted: Update on the Continuing Resolution and Budget Process for Defense
American Made Advocacy: Reshoring—About Trust, Not Just Geography
BAE Systems to Upgrade Additional Mk 45 Naval Guns for U.S. Navy
January 28, 2025 | BAE SystemsEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The Mk 45 is the lightest, most compact 5-inch (127-mm) fully automatic naval gun in the world. It is built to integrate precision guided munitions with minimal gun modifications to ensure U.S. Navy ships have the firepower they need.
The U.S. Navy has awarded BAE Systems over $70 million to upgrade Mk 45 5-inch naval gun systems and ancillary equipment. On Sept. 30, 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-caliber 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 modernized munitions with 50% greater firing energy and prepare for future precision-guided munitions with unprecedented ranges.
"Events in the Red Sea this year have underscored the importance of firepower aboard U.S. Navy ships,” said Brent Butcher, vice president of Weapon Systems at BAE Systems. “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 U.S. Sailors and their allies.”
Upgrades and overhauls to the Mk 45 are a cost-effective solution to ensure that U.S. Navy Sailors have the modern long-range strike and air defense capability that they require, ensuring peak performance from a deep magazine of advanced 5-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.
Share on:
Suggested Items
OSI Systems Receives $36 Million Contract for Aviation Security Systems
05/08/2025 | BUSINESS WIREOSI Systems, Inc. announced that its Security division received a contract award for approximately $36 million to deploy and service airport screening solutions for a prominent international airport in the Middle East.
Cadence Unveils Millennium M2000 Supercomputer with NVIDIA Blackwell Systems
05/08/2025 | Cadence Design SystemsAt its annual flagship user event, CadenceLIVE Silicon Valley 2025, Cadence announced a major expansion of its Cadence® Millennium™ Enterprise Platform with the introduction of the new Millennium M2000 Supercomputer featuring NVIDIA Blackwell systems, which delivers AI-accelerated simulation at unprecedented speed and scale across engineering and drug design workloads.
Indium’s Karthik Vijay to Present on Dual Alloy Solder Paste Systems at SMTA’s Electronics in Harsh Environments Conference
05/06/2025 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation Technical Manager, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East Karthik Vijay will deliver a technical presentation on dual alloy solder paste systems at SMTA’s Electronics in Harsh Environments Conference, May 20-22 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Lockheed Martin Completes Orion Development for Artemis II Moon Mission
05/05/2025 | Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin has completed assembly and testing of NASA's Orion Artemis II spacecraft, transferring possession to NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) team.
MICROOLED Announces Partnership with Vortex Optics and Brand New US Headquarters
05/02/2025 | BUSINESS WIREMICROOLED Inc., the leading global supplier of AMOLED displays, is proud to announce their partnership with Vortex Optics to advance the development of high-performance weapon sights for optical sighting systems.