La empresa LEONARDO (Ex Finmeccanica), se ha asociado con BAE Systems, para ofrecer a la US Navy su Proyectil Guiado VULCANO. Si bien éste proyectil es disparado actualmente por los cañones navales de 127mm fabricados por LEONARDO, la asociación de ambas empresas ofrece adaptar el citado proyectil, para que pueda ser empleado en el cañón AGS (Advanced Gun System), desarrollado por BAE y que equiparía a los modernos destructores clase ZUMWALT de la US Navy. De esta manera, LEONARDO intenta competir en el mercado de la Defensa de EUA, ofreciendo asimismo la posibilidad de emplear el citado proyectil desde otras plataformas terrestres, tales como los cañones M 109 y M777 del US ARMY. LEONARDO es una empresa líder en desarrollos de avanzada para la Defensa y lleva años invirtiendo en tecnologías de munición guiada de artillería.
BAE Systems and Leonardo have teamed to offer Leonardo’s Vulcano guided munitions to the U.S. Navy, the firms said on Wednesday.
Currently built to be fired from Leonardo’s 127mm naval gun, the team-up will see the munition adapted for firing from the BAE Systems-built Advanced Gun System, or AGS, which is mounted on the U.S. Navy’s Zumwalt class of destroyers
The Vulcano munition will also be adapted for use on the BAE Mk 45 gun, the firms said.
“Not only is (Vulcano) compatible with 155-mm 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,” said Gianpiero Lorandi, managing director at Leonardo Defence Systems.
The firms will also seek to offer the munition for use with the M777 and M109 howitzers for the U.S. military.
The Vulcano munition is steered by movable fins designed to be guided by laser and infrared systems.
Leonardo, formerly Finmeccanica, has invested for a number of years in guided munition technology, and the Italian Navy has signed up for Vulcano, as well contributing to test firing programs.
Fuente: http://www.defensenews.com
