The Indonesian Navy has selected BAE Systems’ Bofors 57 Mk3 naval gun system for the country’s KCR-60 fast-attack vessel program. The initial contracts with government-owned shipbuilder PT PAL Indonesia include four 57 Mk3 gun systems.
The Indonesian Navy has selected BAE Systems’ Bofors 57 Mk3 naval gun system for the country’s KCR-60 fast-attack vessel program. The initial contracts with government-owned shipbuilder PT PAL Indonesia include four 57 Mk3 gun systems.
With this latest contract for Indonesia, now the navies of eight allied nations around the globe are deploying the 57 Mk3 naval gun. (Picture source: BAE Systems)
The Bofors 57mm naval gun is designed to address surface, air, and land threats in the littoral environment, and is already in service with a wide range of navies and coast guards, including those of the United States, Canada, Sweden, Finland and Mexico.
“This most recent contract with PT PAL Indonesia signifies the nation’s continued trust that BAE Systems naval guns consistently meet quality requirements and capability needs,” said Ulf Einefors, director of Weapon Systems Sweden at BAE Systems.
With a length of 60 meters, the KCR-60 was designed to quickly deploy guided anti-ship missiles against surface combatants and then rapidly and safely withdraw into the region’s archipelagos. Three KCR-60 vessels are currently in service with the Indonesian Navy, Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Laut, or TNI-AL, with a fourth ship scheduled to be operational in 2021.
According to PT PAL, these ships are equipped with a complete weapons system such as surveillance radar, IFF system, CMS (3 Console), 57 mm Main Gun, Surface to Surface Missile Launcher, Secondary Gun 20 mm, ESM system, and Decoy Launching System. It can sail up to 5 (five) ) day and conduct various missions such as anti-surface warfare, and offshore patrols in territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone. In addition to the basic functions above, KCR-60M also have additional functions to conduct surveillance activities, as well as search and rescue (SAR).
Two of the new 57 Mk3 systems will be for two KCR-60 vessels currently under construction, while the remaining two guns will be integrated onto two existing KCR-60 ships. The gun systems will be produced at BAE Systems facilities in Karlskoga, Sweden. The first unit is scheduled for delivery in 2020 and the final unit in 2021.
The 57 Mk3 is the latest version of the gun. Bofors designed it in 1996 and it entered service in 2000. The gun uses smart ammunition but can also fire the same ammunition as the Mk 2. The stealth variant has a reduced radar profile, in part by hiding the gun barrel when it is not firing. Also, the gun has a small radar mounted on the gun barrel to measure muzzle velocity for fire control purposes and can change ammunition types instantly due to a dual-feed system.
