Diehl Defence and BAE Systems have agreed to integrate the long-range 127mm Vulcano guided ammunition with the Mk 45 Mod 4 naval gun. The integration will significantly extend the weapon’s effective range from more than 20 nautical miles to approximately 100 kilometers. The Mk 45 is installed on more than 200 warships serving over a dozen navies worldwide, including those of the United States, Australia, Japan, Canada, Spain, and South Korea. Until now, Vulcano ammunition has primarily been used with Leonardo’s 127/64 Lightweight naval gun. The partnership will make the precision-guided ammunition available to a much broader fleet of naval vessels while supporting both domestic and international customers. The companies also plan to explore integrating Diehl Defence’s IRIS-T guided missile family with BAE Systems’ shipboard launchers. This follows previous naval testing of the IRIS-T SLM air defense system aboard a German Navy Type 125 frigate, where the missile reportedly achieved a high interception success rate.
