Kuwaiti Navy Orders Rheinmetall FAPDS Ammunition and Light Naval MLG 27 Guns
22 May 2007 15:04
The Düsseldorf-based Rheinmetall Group has been awarded a contract to supply the Kuwaiti Navy with additional light naval guns. The order forms part of a Pentagon foreign military sales programme.
Rheinmetall received an initial order for twelve MLG 27 light naval guns in July 2006. The recently awarded follow-on contract encompasses a further three guns, 30,000 rounds of Frangible Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot (FAPDS) ammunition, and 8,500 rounds of practice ammunition and the performance of various services.
27MM FAPDS AMMUNITION
Worth over €10 million, the order represents an international breakthrough for the company's 27mm FAPDS ammunition. Developed for engaging hard and soft targets alike, this frangible round contains no explosives and no fuse. Rheinmetall's FAPDS round features an extremely high departure-velocity. This results in an extended trajectory and a very short flight time, making it highly accurate.
When the round hits the surface of the target, its tungsten alloy core disintegrates into several pieces, and as it penetrates more deeply into the target's structure, the number of fragments increases in accordance with the cascade principle. Extremely destructive, the steadily expanding lethal cones formed by these high-energy fragments quickly annihilate the target.
A highly dynamic gun mount combined with high-precision optronics and state-of the-art ammunition assures a very high probability of a kill when engaging lightweight, agile targets at sea.
MLG 27 LIGHT NAVAL GUN
The MLG 27 can be installed on practically any class of naval vessel without having to penetrate the deck. The system is remotely operated from a physically separate control unit. Its day and night-capable target tracking sensors enable the operator to track targets automatically or control the system manually.
To date, Rheinmetall has supplied 56 similarly configured MLG 27 light naval guns to the German Navy. Of these systems, 29 have already been installed on board German surface combatants, replacing previous 20mm and 40mm systems.
Two of the three additional guns ordered for the Kuwaiti Navy will be used to arm naval diver support vessels currently being built in the United States. The third system will be used for training purposes. Kuwait plans to deploy the boats primarily for diving operations, gunnery training and for protecting offshore oil platforms.
Headquartered in Ratingen, Germany, Rheinmetall Waffe Munition is a subsidiary of the Düsseldorf-based Rheinmetall Group. The company's Mauser Oberndorf plant makes Rheinmetall a global leader in the field of medium-calibre weapon systems and ammunition.
For more information on this company:
Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH - Medium Calibre Weapon Systems and Ammunition
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