Test firing of the 57mm Bofors aboard USCGC Bertholf, photo by MMagaro

Below is a news release from Northrop Grumman. I have to ask what is going on? The L3 developed 57MM MK 332 Mod 0 (ALaMO) guided round, meant to address the same type targets the Northrop Grumman news release talks about, is already in service and available for export. Additionally, Raytheon was developing MAD-FIRES as a guided round to engage the more difficult cruise missile threat. I still have not heard anything that would indicate MAD-FIRES is in service.

Is this Northrop Grumman round cheaper? More capable? Or is the Navy just diversifying sources? The news release below does claim, “Utilizing seekers and an aft-maneuver system, the round provides continuous trajectory guidance no matter how often the target may pivot.“ (emphasis applied) That might be a difference.

My last post on ALaMO here.

(The 57mm Mk110 is mounted on both types of LCS, the National Security Cutters and will be mounted on the Offshore Patrol Cutters and the Navy’s new frigate)

PLYMOUTH, Minn. – Oct. 4, 2023 – The U.S. Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) a development contract for the company’s newly designed 57mm guided high explosive ammunition. Designated for use with the Mk110 Naval Gun Mount, the company will test and mature the munition for qualification.

The 57mm guided high explosive ammunition has the unique ability to continuously maneuver in-flight as it moves toward a designated target. Designed to defend against fast moving surface threats, drones and swarming threats, the guided 57mm ammunition features an on-board seeker to acquire moving targets and a fuze with the ability to self-select for either proximity or point-detonation mode to best engage and defeat the intended target.

“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, armament systems, Northrop Grumman. “The Navy will gain a greater capability to defend against moving threats and a new level of accuracy to defeat them.”

As the newest addition to Northrop Grumman’s advanced ammunition portfolio, the 57mm round leverages the company’s expertise in guided munitions, such as the Precision Guidance Kit. Utilizing seekers and an aft-maneuver system, the round provides continuous trajectory guidance no matter how often the target may pivot. This new guided ammunition will give the Navy greater stand-off range and a cost-effective solution against small, fast-moving threats, without any weapon system modifications.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our 98,000 employees define possible every day.