This gives them a lot of versatility and lethality. Guns can engage multiple small, fast-moving targets at short range rapidly, and modern naval guns have rates of fire that make you amazed.īesides, smart-fused munitions are now becoming more common. The sea laws require a warship to be able to fire warning shots in many situations, so the guns aren’t going away. It’s kind of difficult to fire shots across the bow of a smuggler or pirate with supersonic missiles. The gun is still the go-to weapon for a lot of situations. Warships don’t only need to be able to kill other warships, and they also need to be able to defend themselves against small boats at short range, apprehend merchant vessels, and fight in littoral environments. Mark 7 16-inch/50-caliber gun turrets are trained to starboard during the main battery gunnery exercise aboard the battleship USS IOWA (Source: US National Archives) Modern naval guns perform the same function as a 4″ or 5″ gun from WW2 and do a much better job. Long-range engagements are now carried out with anti-shipping or cruise missiles or with aircraft. At short range, they’re mighty.Ĭomparing a modern naval gun to a WW2 16″ gun is pointless, as those are weapons performing a different role. Modern guns are of smaller caliber than previously, but have much more rapid-fire rates, are immensely more accurate, and have a range of high-tech payloads that make them much more dangerous at the business end. Comparison of Naval Guns with past versions: However, as we shared before, the Vulcano smart guided munitions introduction started to change this situation. Because of radar technology development, smart missiles, and intelligent ammunition, the guns’ shorter range and less accuracy have reduced guns’ importance. As a result of the development of technology and the change in naval warfare doctrine, the concept of gun usage has changed, and guns are no longer the primary weapon of ships. The gigantic naval guns of the magnificent armored ships that served in the 2nd World War and the cannons of modern warships are always a comparable point.
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