Gun systems and communications for 10 Littoral Combat Ships to be provided by BAE Systems

Posted by John McHaleARLINGTON, Va., 16 April 2011. Ten U.S. Navy Independence variant Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), built by an Austal USA-led team, will have their external communications systems and primary gun systems from BAE Systems. The LCS fleet will be a new generation of high-speed Navy warships designed to carry out a range of operations in shallow waters close to shore.BAE Systems will design, install, integrate, and test various communications systems for the 10 ships. These include radio and antenna systems, baseband switching systems and associated cabinets, and other types of specialized equipment and hardware. Communications work will be conducted at BAE Systems' facility in California, Maryland, and at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala.The gun systems will be 57-millimeter Mk 110 gun systems. General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems along with General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products will install and integrate the gun systems. The 6-mode 57-mm Mk 295 programmable, pre-fragmented and proximity-fused (3P) ammunition allows the system to perform against an aerial, surface, or ground threat without requiring multiple round types. Sailors can switch from warning to live fire to engage a target in seconds, and the servo-controlled electro hydraulic gun laying subsystems provide robust endurance and extreme pointing accuracy, even in high sea-state conditions.Gun system work will be conducted at BAE Systems' facilities in Louisville, Kentucky, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and in Karlskoga, Sweden. Production of the gun systems is expected to run through calendar year 2017. BAE Systems announced in January that it will also build and install the primary gun systems on 10 Lockheed Martin-built Littoral Combat Ships.BAE Systems is a subcontractor to General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems for external communications and a supplier to General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products for the gun systems. The company will support the Austal-led team on this work as a subcontractor to General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems. Earlier this year, General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems was awarded a contract from Austal to be the Platform Systems Engineering Agent for the ships.