The main contractor for the F126 frigate, Damen Naval, has commissioned Leonardo to supply OTO 127/64 LightWeight (LW) Vulcano naval artillery systems for the four F126 frigates, to integrate them into the frigates and to support commissioning. The contract includes logistical support for repairs as well as the delivery of simulators for crew training, Damen Naval and Leonardo write in a joint press release.
According to Leonardo, the naval gun with a caliber of 127mm and a barrel length of 8,128mm (64 x 127mm) is the core of a fully digitized system. In communication with the operators and the onboard combat management system, it offers constant support in calculating shooting solutions during mission planning.
The weapon system can use the two variants of the company's 127mm Vulcano ammunition, writes Leonardo: Guided Long Range (GLR) and Ballistic Extended Range (BER). The gun extends the defense capability of a naval unit up to 85 km with the same accuracy.
An der Entwicklung und Qualifizierung der Vulcano-Munition war Diehl Defence beteiligt. Diehl beschreibt die GLR als Munitionsfamilie mit satellitengestützter Navigation mit Laser- oder Infrarotsensoren für den Endanflug mit höchster Zielgenauigkeit. Der insensitive Mehrzweck-Sprenggefechtskopf mit vorgeformten Wolfram-Splittern sei höchst effektiv gegen weiche Ziele, Fahrzeuge, halbgepanzerte Fahrzeuge, Infrastrukturen und alle Arten typischer Infanteriegefechtsstände einsetzbar.
The F126 will receive the same naval gun as the Baden-Württemberg-class F125 frigates.
Damen Naval is the prime contractor building four F126 frigates for the German Armed Forces for delivery between 2028 and 2031. The delivery of a further two F126s after 2032 has been agreed as an option. The frigates are built at shipyards in Kiel, Hamburg and Wolgast.
Editors / gwh
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