Lockheed Martin demonstrates new weapons turret

AMPTHILL, England, May 15 (UPI) -- A new vehicle weapons turret developed by Lockheed Martin has been demonstrated in Britain with both a Javelin missile and a 30mm cannon fired from it.

Development of the turret and the integration of the weapons was a nine-month effort by Lockheed Martin U.K. and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in the United States.

"This firing is the culmination of a tremendous amount of cooperation and hard work between the U.K. and U.S. teams," said Alan Lines, vice president and managing director, LMUK Ampthill. "The team was able to leverage knowledge gained from other ground vehicle programs, such as the Warrior Capability Sustainment Program and Scout Specialist Vehicle, as well as the U.S. ground combat vehicle and amphibious combat vehicle."

In the demonstration, the turret solution "exceed the accuracy requirements for both static and on-the-move firing, combined with enhanced protection and ergonomically driven fightability improvements, maximizing mission success and significantly increasing crew effectiveness," the company said.

The Javelin missile, a joint venture product by Raytheon and Lockheed, is a man-portable anti-tank weapon with an effective firing range of more than 2,700 yards.