Article Posted on : - May 26, 2010

AGS magazine - the largest fully-automated magazine in the world is the first piece of production hardware to be delivered under the AGS program. BAE Systems photo

ARLINGTON (BNS): The US Navy has received its first automated magazine for the 155-mm Advanced Gun System (AGS) being developed for the DDG 1000 (Zumwalt) Destroyer Program.

Developed by BAE Systems with General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, the magazine is the first major production component to be delivered under the AGS program, a company statement said.

It is one of a total of four magazines that will be built under a Navy contract to produce four AGS weapon systems for the Navy's first two Zumwalt class destroyers.

AGS is a long-range precision gun system designed to meet Navy surface fire support requirements. The 155-mm AGS magazine gives the AGS a fully automated ammunition handling system that eliminates the need for sailors to handle the ammunition - a first for US Navy large caliber gun systems.

The magazine acts like an automated logistics center below deck by organizing and processing up to 38 pallets that each weigh 6,000-pounds and hold eight 230-pound, precision-guided Long-Range Land Attack Projectiles (LRLAP) and eight propelling charges.

These LRLAPs can be fed into the AGS at rates of up to 10 rounds per minute to provide unmatched, sustained long-range precision fire support to Navy and Marine expeditionary forces.

AGS magazine will be installed on the USS Zumwalt - the lead DDG 1000 ship - and later integrated with the first production AGS gun mount, which is currently undergoing testing in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The largest fully automated magazine in the world, each AGS magazine is approximately 45 feet long, 30 feet wide, and two stories tall and weighs 160 metric tons.

The advanced automation and massive capacity from these magazines give DDG 1000, with two AGSs each, the ability to fire LRLAP at ranges of more than 60 nautical miles. This represents the longest guided flight range for any large caliber gun system in the world. The AGS can deliver munitions on target anywhere within minutes of a call for fire.