BAE Systems and Leonardo are partnering to develop new precision-guided munitions for use with large-caliber ground and naval guns for U.S. and allied military forces.
The program will focus on adaptations and derivatives of the current Vulcano line of precision-guided artillery ammunition. The new munitions would be used on a range of heavy gun systems, including the standard MK-45 5-inch naval gun and the BAE Advanced Gun System on the Zumwalt-class destroyer.
"The Vulcano long-range guided munition family, part of the Leonardo's global offer of naval, land-based, and aeronautical weapon systems for customers worldwide, represents state-of-the-art technology with its unmatched range, accuracy, and effectiveness, which was successfully demonstrated in testing," Gianpiero Lorandi, managing director at Leonardo Defense Systems, said in a press release.
"Not only is it compatible with 155mm land and 5-inch naval gun systems, Vulcano can also be easily integrated into current and future platforms such as the AGS, a major benefit."
In addition to naval guns, the program will seek to provide improved ranges for ground-based 155mm howitzers and self-propelled artillery used by the U.S. and its allies.
This would be accomplished with rocket-assisted guided projectiles with ranges up to 80 miles like the canceled Long Range Land Attack Projectile program.
Vulcano is a line of extended range guided and unguided munitions for the 76mm and 127mm naval guns and 15mm ground artillery. The guided rounds can use a combination of GPS, inertial navigation, and semi-active laser. The newer versions to be developed may include infrared guidance systems as well.
Army taps Raytheon for language translation software
Licenses for foreign language translation software are being provided to the U.S. Army for one year by Raytheon BBN Technologies.
The licensing of the software to the U.S. Army's Machine Foreign Language Translation System Program Office is worth $4 million and is the first large scale fielding of the system, Raytheon said in an announcement on Monday.
"Our military needs to conv … read more
