The OTO Melara 76 mm gun is a naval gun built and designed by the Italian defence company Oto Melara. It is based on the Oto Melara 76/62C and evolved toward 76/62 SR and 76/62 Strales.
he system is compact enough to be installed on relatively small warships. Its high rate of fire and availability of range of ammunition make it capable for short-range anti-missile point defence, anti-aircraft, anti-surface, and ground support. Ammunition includes Armour-piercing, incendiary, directed fragmentation effects, and a guided round marketed as capable of destroying maneuvering anti-ship missiles.
OTO Melara is pitching its 76 mm gun as a longer-range, cost efficient alternative to the legacy 57 mm system that is currently planned to arm the Navy's future frigate.
The 76 mm would replace BAE System's Mk110 57 mm, which currently equips both variants of the Littoral Combat Ship and is planned as the main armament of the modified LCS, or future frigate. In addition to the 57 mm, the planned frigate will field an upgraded SeaRAM for close-in engagements, two 25 mm guns to counter threats inside the horizon, an MH-60 Seahawk helicopter armed with Longbow Hellfire torpedoes to fight at the horizon, as well as a to-be-determined over-the-horizon missile. The Navy will also be able to pull on additional weapons systems for the planned surface warfare (SUW) "swing" configuration of the ship.
Despite criticism that the LCS and planned FF do not have the firepower to counter growing threats in the littorals, in particular small fast attack craft, the Navy has so far shown no sign that a switch from the 57 mm gun to the 76 mm is imminent. Sean Stackley, the service's top weapons buyer, said Dec. 11 during a roundtable at the Pentagon that the Navy has concluded that, at least for now, the 57 mm is the right gun for the ship.
