57 mm.

This is coolbert:

“smallah be mo’ bettah!!”

The U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard have gone for the 57 mm rapid-fire turret mounted gun in a big way.

The littoral combat ship [LCS], the newest class of Navy destroyer, and also the latest class of Coast Guard cutter will ALL be outfitted with this gun.

This is somewhat surprising to me. That caliber, 57 mm, seems to be too small??

This is a small gun that carries a big punch??!!

Evidently so.

Based on the original Swedish Bofors version [Mk I, Mk II, Mk III]. Called the Mk 110 in the U.S. Navy. 57 mm, rapid fire, 220 rounds per minute. Has a range of nine nautical miles. Can saturate a target with fire in short order. Is useful for use against land, sea, or air-based targets. Versatile!

"the Mk 110 accurately fires automatic salvos of the highly lethal 57-mm Mk 295 ammunition at a firing rate of 220 rounds per minute and a range of up to nine miles."

Fires what is called the 3P round. Pre-fragmented, Programmable, Proximity.

"6-mode programmable . . . 57 mm 3P (prefragmented, programmable, proximity fuzed ammunition."

Ammunition that can be programmed for six different modes:

"The following modes can be selected:

* Gated proximity mode (air defence).

* Gated proximity mode with impact priority (air defence, large targets).

* Time mode (small fast, manoeuvring surface targets and concealed on-shore targets).

* Impact mode (surface targets).

* Armour piercing mode (armoured surface targets).

* Proximity mode (default mode)."

[With inclusion of a proper missile on say the LCS class of warship, such as a Harpoon, and the use of a UAV for targeting information, ships well over the horizon could be also engaged. Even way beyond the nine nautical mile range of the Mk 110!!]

coolbert.