US Navy Mulls New Projectile for Most Advanced Warship
The U.S. Navy is looking for new precision ammunition for its latest stealth destroyer.
L1001025
By Franz-Stefan Gady
December 29, 2016
The U.S. Navy is looking to replace the primary projectile used for the two main guns of its 16,000-ton next generation guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000). With a cost of $800,000 to $1 million per Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP) round, the precision ammunition has become too expensive for the service.
LRLAP is the only ammunition specifically designed to be fired by the USS Zumwalt’s two 155 millimeter/62-caliber Advanced Gun Systems (AGS), the main armament of the ship with an estimated range of up to 63 nautical miles (72 miles, 115 kilometers).
According to sources interviewed by Jane’s Defense Weekly, the U.S. Navy is now exploring possible replacement projectiles. The service is considering three options: Raytheon’s 155 millimeter Excalibur 1b, BAE Systems’ Multi-Service Standard Guided Projectile (MS-SGP), and the Hyper Velocity Projectile (HVP).
http://thediplomat.com/2016/12/us-navy-mulls-new-projectile-for-most-advanced-warship/
