US Navy Extends Gun Contract With BAE Systems

The U.S. Navy will spend an additional $23.5 million on upgrades to Mk 45 5-inch naval guns fitted to its vessels in a new deal agreed with BAE Systems.

The new agreement is a bolt-on to an existing $47 million deal agreed in July 2024, with BAE Systems upgrading existing systems to the Mk 45 Mod 4 configuration, which features a 62-calibre barrel and reinforced mountings.

As per a recent press statement, the works will be carried out at BAE Systems’ facility in Louisville, Kentucky, and are scheduled to be completed by the close of 2028.

Brent Butcher, Weapon Systems Vice President at BAE Systems, commented: "Events in the Red Sea this year have underscored the importance of firepower aboard U.S. Navy ships.

“Equipped with the latest configuration of the Mk45 gun system, the men and women in the Navy have the capabilities to protect themselves at sea.”

• You can read more details on the BAE Systems website