30-mm Mk 38 Variant

Upgunning the highly accurate and lethal Mk 38 Mod 2 with a 30-mm Bushmaster II cannon will not only increase its maximum range by 20 percent, but also increase its lethality by taking advantage of all variations of 30-mm ammunition, including air burst. The 30-mm version of the Mk 38 Mod 2 will have approximately 90 percent parts commonality with the 25-mm including the Electro-Optical Sensor, gun drives and all of the electronics and operator interfaces. A gunner trained on the 25-mm will be able to immediately operate the 30-mm and vice versa. 

Other upgrades in process (25-mm and 30-mm versions) include a 400-round magazine and integration of a 7.62-mm coaxially mounted weapon with 400 rounds. The larger capacity magazine for the main gun will reduce the number of times/day that the magazine has to be reloaded and will enable the gunner to engage the targets for a longer period of time between reloading for each mission. The 7.62-mm coaxially-mounted weapon will enhance protection while in harbor and provides low cost force multiplier capabilities for the Mk 38 Mod 2 System. The 7.62-mm weapon upgrade also broadens the ships' Anti Terrorism/Force Protection capability to engage smaller and close-in targets. Providing two weapons with one platform saves ship desk space and operators and results in a net reduction in overall maintenance burden.