The Royal Navy has awarded a $219-million contract to BAE Systems for five Mk-45 Maritime Indirect Fire Systems (MIFS).
The MIFS will be integrated into the service’s future Type 26 frigates to provide a critical advantage at sea.
The company’s indirect fires system combines the 5-inch, 62-caliber Mk-45 Mod 4A naval gun system with a fully automated ammunition handling system (AHS).
The combination revolutionizes medium and large caliber naval gunnery and improves the advanced warship’s operational capability.
“The customized, lightweight, and compact Mk-45 gun system with AHS provides our customers commonality with the US Navy, a highly-reliable system with security of lifecycle support, and access to future technology upgrades,” BAE Systems vice president Brent Butcher said.
Work for the contract will be carried out in Minneapolis and Kentucky.
The first MIFS was delivered at the end of 2022, with installation to follow in 2023.
Bolstering UK Strategic Deterrence
In November last year, BAE Systems received a 4.2-billion-pound ($5 billion) contract to manufacture five city-class Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy.
The warships will bolster the country’s strategic deterrence and protect the new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers from hostile submarines.
They are also expected to support complex combat scenarios, counter-piracy, and humanitarian and disaster relief.
“The Type 26 Global Combat Ship is a 21st Century warship that will replace the Type 23 frigate as the workhorse of the fleet, undertaking the Royal Navy’s three core roles – warfighting, maritime security, and international engagement,” the service stated on its website.
The first Type 26 frigate under contract will be delivered to the Royal Navy in the mid-2020s.