BAE Systems has signed a contract with the Dutch Materiel and IT Command (COMMIT) for eight Bofors 40Mk4 naval gun systems for the Royal Netherlands Navy and Belgian Naval Component.
The contract, the value of which was not disclosed, is part of the joint Belgian-Dutch Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigate (ASWF) programme under which four ASWFs have been ordered from prime contractor Damen Shipyards Group: two for each navy. The contract with BAE Systems will see two Bofors 40Mk4 naval guns supplied for each ship.
“This key milestone will ensure the new frigates have the cutting-edge capabilities they require, with the addition of our advanced 3P ammunition,” Stefan Löfström, marketing and sales director at BAE Systems Bofors, was quoted as saying in a company press release.
The contract includes installation, training, documentation, spares and tools, with an option for BAE Systems’ 3P programmable ammunition and additional guns for training purposes. The first gun is scheduled for delivery in 2026.
The Bofors 40Mk4 is a compact and lightweight naval gun system designed for anti-aircraft and anti-surface warfare operations. It can switch seamlessly among ammunition types, which delivers versatile targeting of air, land and sea-based threats. The programmable 40 mm Bofors 3P ammunition provides the naval gun system with the highest possible combat flexibility, as it can be programmed in six different function modes to provide optimised effects.
