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Seahawk family nests at DSEi
Wednesday, 12 September, 2007
Building on its success in winning the contract to supply the UK Royal Navy with a new Automated Small Calibre Gun (ASCG) system, MSI-Defence Systems (Stand 592) has brought its portfolio of small calibre guns and electro-optical surveillance and fire control systems together under the family name Seahawk.
The new product line embraces the company’s full range of 25mm and 30mm naval gun mountings — available in local, autonomous and remote-controlled configurations — together with the new off-mount electro-optical director (EOD) and associated ballistics computer developed specifically for the ASCG programme.
This Seahawk electro-optical fire control system will also be marketed independently to control naval weapons up to 76mm. It also covers on-mount sensor
options available for a lower-cost AUTSIG (A1) variant.
“We have taken the opportunity to bring our complete range of small calibre weapons and fire control solutions under a single brand name,” an MSI spokesman told the DSEi Show Daily. “Seahawk encompasses a range of modular, scalable systems that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of individual customers, and easily upgraded through life to meet emergent threats and requirements.”
The first ACSG fit — combining the company’s latest MSI DS30M Mk 2 30mm gun mounting with a new ‘open architecture’ EOD — is currently being fitted to the RN Type 23 frigate HMS Somerset. Installations aboard a further 12 Type 23s are expected to roll out through 2008-09, providing the class with a substantially improved defence against small, fast surface threats.
MSI-Defence Systems has already clinched an overseas sale of the MSI DS30M Mk 2 (A2) system based on the generic ASCG architecture. The MSI spokesman added: “We are also seeing significant interest in the MSI DS25/30 (A1) AUTSIG variant. This is seen as particularly suited to the requirements of navies, coastguards and paramilitary forces engaged in maritime constabulary tasks.” New Zealand has acquired a 25mm variant of the AUTSIG A1 mounting for a number of its Project Protector vessels. The Philippine Navy has also installed a version of AUTSIG A1 on its three Jacinto class patrol craft. MSI has recently obtained two more significant orders for this particular A1 variant.
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