The US Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman a development contract for a newly designed 57-millimeter guided munition with high explosive power. The ammunition is intended for use with the Mk110 Naval Gun Mount.
The 57 mm guided munition has the ability to continuously realign itself to a specific target during flight. It is therefore particularly suitable for defense against fast-moving surface threats and drones and has an integrated seeker head for detecting moving targets as well as a fuze that autonomously chooses either close or point detonation mode depending on the target category in order to engage the target in the best possible way. Northrop Grumman can also draw on experience from previous projects, such as the Precision Guidance Kit, when developing the new 57×70 millimeter projectiles. The use of seeker heads and a tail maneuvering system enables a steerable trajectory up to impact, regardless of how mobile the target is. For the US Navy, the new ammunition means that they now have a new solution against small, fast-moving threats without having to change the weapon system.
