ROME. During the ongoing MSPO exhibition, Leonardo announces the signing of a significant contract with Kongsberg for the supply of 30 mm X-GUN weapon systems.
These will be integrated into an advanced multi-layer counter-UAS system for an undisclosed NATO customer, designed to counter hostile uncrewed aerial platforms.
Entirely developed and manufactured by Leonardo, the 30 mm X-GUN is an ITAR-free, electrically driven weapon system that incorporates innovative, proprietary and patented technologies.
Designed for both land and naval applications, it is capable of effectively countering a wide spectrum of threats, ranging from the most advanced to conventional ones.
This effectiveness is enabled by the use of next-generation programmable ammunition, including Air Burst rounds, which ensure outstanding performance in very short-range air defence and in countering asymmetric threats.
The X-GUN is available in both linked and linkless configurations.
This technology has already been selected by several armed forces worldwide for naval applications through the Lionfish 30 turret and for land applications through the HITFIST 30 turret.
The X-GUN, together with the new Blaze 30×113 system currently under development, further expands the Company’s counter- drone capabilities, enabling Leonardo to provide solutions that cover the entire operational spectrum for countering uncrewed aerial systems (UAS).
The X-Gun, developed by Leonardo, represents a revolution in the field of 30 mm automatic cannons. Thanks to its advanced technology it allows armed forces to face legacy and emerging threats.
The X-Gun is designed to meet the challenges of the modern battlefield, characterized by an increasingly complex and dynamic environment. Contemporary military operations often take place in urban scenarios and in territories with a growing threat from drones and unmanned aerial systems.
This requires highly specialized weapon systems capable of ensuring precision and responsiveness.
The proliferation of military and civilian drones has transformed engagement tactics. The X-Gun offers an effective solution to neutralize these threats with a rate of fire 200 rounds/min using ABM technology, ensuring a high response capacity against aerial targets.
The capability to integrated the X-Gun on land and naval platforms makes this system extremely versatile.
This allows strategic use in different situations, from surveillance missions to the defense of critical areas, offering integrated real-time protection.
The main feature of the weapon is certainly the new bolt movement system based on the electric motion of an “X” cam which ensures total control of the firing cycle: the misfire is managed in total autonomy, stopping the motion for a sufficient time so that the ammo does not explode at an unwanted moment.
Thanks to the flexibility in managing the bolt movement, it is possible to use the “SNIPER” functionality: the shot is partially set off and then fired with low latency between pressing the trigger: this allows a greater accuracy.
Furthermore, the weapon has the possibility of carrying out “clearing” cycles of the receiver without firing (“NEXT ROUND” feature.
This capability is possible thanks to fully remoted selection mechanism of the feeder that allows to switch between “line 1”, “line 2” and “Neutral” (No line selected).
To maximize effectiveness for C-UAS (Counter-Unmanned Aerial System) applications, the X-Gun is able to use the new 30×173 mm ABM ammunition.
The innovative fuze collects real-time projectile velocity data with contact- less technology as it travels through the barrel.
This data corrects the time of flight before detonation, refining the detonation point improving accuracy, and, as a consequence, the Kill Probability.
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