Scott Nicholas
General Dynamics‘ U.K. land systems subsidiary and its partners completed live firing tests of a stabilized cannon and chain gun mounted on the U.K. army’s General Dynamics-built armored fighting vehicle.
The team tested the CTA International-developed 40-millimeter cannon system integrated on the Ajax vehicle platform to record the recoil and blast stresses and other aspects of the firing, General Dynamics said Wednesday.
The tests, conducted by General Dynamics and turret manufacturer Lockheed Martin and observed by the U.K. defense ministry, work to address risks prior to the formal firing program that will commence later in the year.
Kevin Connell, General Dynamics Land Systems-UK vice president, said the company works with its industry partners and customers in effort to develop a platform that the country’s army can utilize even in rugged environments.
CTA International, a joint venture between BAE Systems and Nexter Systems, delivered the cannon systems in March.
The cannon includes features such as a higher firing elevation functionality and a sideways-loading ammunition system to address limited space.
The first U.K. army squadron will be equipped with the cannon-carrying Ajax vehicle by mid-2019 and a brigade will be ready to deploy the following year, General Dynamics said.
