BAE Systems, Diehl Defence Expand Naval Firepower With Vulcano and IRIS-T Integration BAE Systems and Diehl Defence have signed a collaboration agreement to equip the Mk 45 Mod 4 naval gun with Diehl Defence’s 127mm Vulcano long-range guided ammunition, greatly increasing the system’s operational reach. Used on more than 200 warships operated by over a dozen navies worldwide, the Mk 45 Mod 4 currently provides naval fire support at ranges exceeding 20 nautical miles. The addition of Vulcano ammunition is expected to boost the gun’s maximum engagement range to around 100 kilometers, allowing warships to conduct accurate long-range strikes against land-based targets. The integration also expands the availability of Vulcano rounds beyond Leonardo’s 127/64 Lightweight gun to one of the world’s most widely deployed naval gun systems. As part of the partnership, the companies will jointly develop the required technical integration for global customers and evaluate the integration of Diehl Defence’s IRIS-T guided missile family with BAE Systems’ naval launch systems. The initiative builds on Diehl Defence’s previous successful IRIS-T SLM naval trials conducted from a German Navy Type 125 frigate, where the system demonstrated a high interception success rate.
