The German Navy has successfully completed the operational suitability tests of frigate F125 (Baden-Württemberg-class).

In order to meet the requirements of the Italian and German governments, Diehl Defence and Leonardo have developed and qualified the 127 mm and 155 mm Vulcano family precision-guided ammunition and certify that compatibility with all 127 mm and 155 mm weapon systems is ensured.

During the field tests, the guided ammunition in question were fired from frigate F125 with Leonardo’s 127/64 mm Lightweight naval gun. 

The Vulcano ammunition is designed for ranges of 70 km for 155 mm ammunition and 80 km for 127 mm ammunition, offering precision against stationary and moving targets.

Besides the basic configuration with a Height of Burst (HoB) sensor (continuous height measurement), other configurations were qualified, which include both SAL (Semi-Active Laser) and FarIR (Far Infrared) terminal homing sensors.

The multi-role, Insensitive High-Explosive warhead with pre-fragmented tungsten splinters is most effective against soft targets, semi-armored vehicles, and infrastructures such as command posts.

It is noted that the F125 class frigates were jointly designed and built by Thyssen-Krupp and Lürssen. The Baden-Württemberg class has the largest displacement of any frigate class worldwide, with a displacement of over 7000 tons.

Among their missions is the attack of targets on land, hence the choice of the 127 mm Vulcano naval gun.

Also read: OTO VULCANO 127 | Dual-role ammunition against surface and long-range aerial targets