The 6.1-inch/62 caliber Advanced Gun System
An naval gun designed for the Zumwalt-class destroyers of the USN. It is designed for long-range naval gunfire support against shore-based targets. A total of six were built with two being installed on each of the three Zumwalt-class vessels. The USN has made the decision to build any further Zumwalt-class destroyers and has no plans to deploy the AGS on any other ship. The AGS can only use ammunition designed specifically for the system, and only this one type was designed at a November 2016 cost of $800,000 to $1,000,000 per round, in other words the AGS has no ammunition and cannot be used. The AGS is slatted for removal by 2023.
The AGS was originally developed as the Vertical Gun for Advanced Ships (VGAS) and its rounds were developed as guided-munitions for this role. The VGAS was then modified for a more conventional turret arrangement. AGS is designed to delivery a high rate of fire with the VGAS precision munitions. The turret mount allows the use of unguided munitions, which were never developed. AGS is NOT designed to use the same munitions as conventional artillery, so it requires each type of round to be designed and specifically built.
The Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP) round for the AGS was to be a major advance. It features separate projectile and propellant portions and was to be highly precise, with a circular error probable (CEP) of 50m or less. Firing tests of the LRLAP reported a range of 68mi. However, due to the very high cost, LRLAP was canceled in 2016 with no plans to replace. In early 2021, the USN was exploring replacing the AGS on the Zumwalts with hypersonic missiles and in March 2022, the Navy announced that the two AGS turrets would be removed to allow the installation of a Vertical Launch System that will accommodate the Common-Hypersonic Glide Body missiles. As the Zumwalts enter their maintenance periods in late 2023, the switch will take place.
The turret weighs 104 tons and the mount has an elevation of +70/-5 degrees. Maximum rate of fire is ten rounds per minute with a range of 83nmi.
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