8''/55 Mk 71

History

The Mk 71 was a gun mounting designed for shore bombardment, as the big gun cruisers were retiring and smaller guns were thought incapable of destroying hardened bunkers and outranging coastal defence weapons. It was developed out of the MCLWG program ( Major Caliber Light Weight Gun) which aimed to create a gun capable of supporting amphibious landing yet still light enough to fit on destroyer size ships.

It was originally proposed to be an adaption of the army's 175mm atillery gun, but during initial evaluation testing in the early 1970's the 8" caliber was selected. The projectiles planned for the new weapon were to combine a large explosive charge together with long range and high accuracy through laser guidance and thus were to be able to attack even small targets such as individual bunkers.

To make the weapon widely available in the fleet the weapon featured in many of the designs of the 1970's, however in the end only the Spruance class was build in a way that the weapon could actually be fitted. All Spruance class ships were instead fitted with an 5"/54 Mk 45 instead

The prototype testing on USS Hull was succesful, but the program was cancelled in 1978 as a result of budget reconsiderations.

The Mk 71 was tested in DD-945 Hull from 1975 to 1979.

On all proposed installations, the Mk 71 was guided by the Mk 86 GFCS. During testing on USS Hull the ballistics were provided to her Mk 68 GFCS by an specially modified Mark 155 ballistics computer.

Used on

• DD-945 Hull
• Spruance class modernisation scheme (proposed)
• Spruance class AAW conversion scheme (proposed)
• CSGN (proposed)
• CGN-9 (proposed)
• DDV 8

Affiliated systems

• Mk 86 GFCS
• Mk 68 GFCS (modified)

Part description

Side, top, and front views of the Mk 71 are drawn. Belowdeck components directly under the mount are included, additional ammunition elevators are not.

See also

http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_8-55_mk71.php