This 57mm Mark 110 Naval gun is used on the new Freedom Class Littoral Combat Ships. These ships can attain speeds of 52 mph and are driven by pumps that can empty an Olympic-sized pool in three seconds.
The rate of fire is 220 rounds per minute and the projectiles have fuses with built-in radar that can be programmed to detonate by proximity or time/distance. The electronics sustain 60,000 G's at the moment of firing. At that G level a baseball has an effective weight of 8.5 tons.
General Characteristics — MK 110
| Primary Function | Fully-automatic naval gun mount |
| Date Deployed | 2008, LCS and USCG WMSL classes |
| Range | 17,000 meters (9.1 nautical miles), conventional ammunition |
| Rate of Fire | 220 rounds per minute, automatic |
| Magazine Capacity | 120 rounds conventional |
| Caliber | 57mm 70 caliber MK 38 Mod 0 Barrel — barrel length 3,990mm |
| Guidance System | MK 160 Gun Computer System (USCG WMSL); various Gun Computer systems (LCS) |
| Platforms | All LCS and USCG WMSL class ships — one gun mount per ship |
The MK 110 gun was developed by BAE Bofors, Sweden, as the 57mm MK3, and was competitively selected for installation on United States Coast Guard cutters and Littoral Combat Ship class vessels. It is designed to engage surface, air, and missile targets. The current version was designed in 1995 and introduced into Swedish service aboard their Visby class corvette in 2000. The MK 110 Mod 0 Gun is assembled at the BAE Systems facility in Louisville, Kentucky.
The gun mount includes a 120-round automatic loader drum. The maximum firing rate is 220 rounds per minute. The gun is normally operated by remote control from the fire control system by one operator, but can be controlled locally at the mount. Additional rounds can be accomplished by the full crew — mount captain and two designated ammunition loaders — all stationed below deck.