Unlike the previous Maritime Action Vessels, which have the standard version of the 76/62mm Oto Melara ( Leonardo ) cannon, the future BAMs of the Spanish Navy will be armed with the 76/62mm Super Rapid cannon.
The Navy ‘s plans to have a dozen, or more, of the multipurpose Maritime Action Vessels (BAM) seem to be advancing in such a way that before 2027 additional copies will be received to complement the six already in service and the one already contracted for rescue and underwater intervention.
Regarding the BAM , it was decided at the end of last June to move towards hiring two more, valued at around 550 million euros. These could be complemented with other similar ones a posteriori, since their need is clear in a situation in which more means must be committed to contributing to the Defense and Security of the Spanish people, meaning that several modifications have already been planned in them.
Some, like the one we are going to tell you about, are part of a reality that positively affects the Navy . The future BAMs, unlike the previous ones that have the standard version of the 76/62mm Oto Melara cannon in updated copies recovered from naval units that had been decommissioned after many decades of service, will incorporate a new and innovative piece from the Italian manufacturer Leonardo.
This is the 76/62mm Oto Melara Super Rapid cannon that, as is already the case with others destined for export ships that include the frigates already made for the Saudi Arabian Navy and those that may be contracted in the future also for them, are being manufactured in the technical facilities that Navantia Sistemas has in the San Fernando plant in Cadiz.
What characterizes the 76/62mm Super Rapid cannons that future BAMs will carry is that they are new parts and that their capabilities and fire characteristics are substantially better than those of previous versions already in service. It would be good, and should be considered in the Navy ‘s medium-term plans , to move towards the homogenization of this new part, manufactured and maintained in Spain, on those surface ships that have a medium-type main gun.
Regarding the Super Rapid cannon , it is said that it provides a mantlet with stealthy shapes that helps reduce the radar signature (RCS) of the carrier vessel. It can be used in anti-surface tasks, where its maximum standard range is 16 kilometers that can reach 40 using special munitions such as Vulcan type, and in anti-aircraft and anti-missile missions.
With programmable fuze munitions it appears to be very efficient against this type of widespread threat, an aspect that the Navy has surely already considered .
The Super Rapid assembly , in the case of the BAM, will be at the bow, as in the previous ones that displace almost 2,900 tons and measure 93.9 meters in length, weigh 7.9 tons and measure 7.27 meters. The cannon can adopt an angle of no less than 85º in elevation and carry out firing actions at rates of up to 120 shots per minute thanks to a revolver-type double feed magazine that houses 80 ammunition of two types.
The future BAMs of the Navy will be able to open fire in less than 3 seconds from the moment the order is received. For their control, they will have a digital control console and will incorporate a radar/programmer to know the initial exit velocity of their projectiles and give instructions. accurate to their fuzes. ( Octavio Díez Cámara )
Article by www.defensa.com
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