Northrop Grumman wins new U.S. Navy contract for guided, high explosive ammunition

The U.S. Navy announced last week it would look to Northrop Grumman for a 57mm guided high explosive ammunition to use with its Mk110 Naval Gun Mount.

The new contract award focuses on the testing and maturation of the munition, which poses the capability to keep maneuvering in flight to designated targets. On-board seekers allow the munition to acquire moving targets, with self-select modes focused either on proximity or point detonation depending on the situation. Northrop Grumman meant it as a means of defense against fast moving threats, particularly drones and swarming threats.

“Our new 57mm guided ammunition is truly innovative in its ability to identify, track and guide itself to a target,” Dave Fine, vice president of armament systems for Northrop Grumman, said. “The Navy will gain a greater capability to defend against moving threats and a new level of accuracy to defeat them.”

Notably, the round proposes continuous trajectory guidance – a sort of lock-on, no matter how much a target tries to maneuver away. It also offers greater range for the Navy and what Northrop Grumman designated a cost-effective solution requiring no weapon system modifications to use.