Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Northrop to develop new self-guided 57mm ammunition for U.S. Navy

The U.S. Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman a contract to develop new 57mm self-guided high explosive ammunition designed to be used with the Navy’s Mk110 Naval Gun Mount. The company will test and mature the munition for qualification.

- Advertisement -

Northrop Grumman’s 57mm guided high explosive ammunition can continuously maneuver in-flight as it moves toward a designated target. It has been specifically designed to protect against fast-moving surface threats, drones, and swarming threats.

This innovative ammunition uses technology similar to the company’s expertise in guided munitions, such as the Precision Guidance Kit. It features an on-board seeker that enables it to acquire moving targets and an aft-mounted directional system to steer it in for the final impact. In addition, it features a fuze that can self-select either proximity or point-detonation mode, depending on the intended target, in order to best engage and defeat it.

The 57mm round utilizes seekers and an aft-maneuver system to provide continuous trajectory guidance, regardless of how often the target might pivot. This new guided ammunition offers the Navy a more extensive stand-off range and a cost-effective solution against small, fast-moving threats without requiring any weapon system modifications.

“Our new 57mm guided ammunition is truly innovative in its ability to identify, track, and guide itself to a target,” said Dave Fine, vice president of armament systems at Northrop Grumman, in an official statement. “The Navy will gain a greater capability to defend against moving threats and a new level of accuracy to defeat them.”

- Advertisement -

Blurbs

- Advertisement -