40mm Fast Forty
Single Fast Forty
Overview
40mm Single Fast Forty
40mm Single Fast Forty naval gun turret seen on a test mount.
Source: Unknown author -
© Copyright lies with original owner
Naval gun
8 or more Single Fast Forty mounts
Bangladesh
Description
Introduction
The Fast Forty is a modern era naval gun or close-in weapon system of Italian origin. It was developed as a private venture from the existing Dardo twin 40mm L/70 gun mount, which was successful in export sales. The Fast Forty was however produced only in limited numbers.
Design
The Fast Forty is a further development of the existing Dardo twin 40mm gun mount that is improved in two areas to make it more effective as a close-in weapon system. The rate of fire has been increased by 50% and a secondary magazine was added for quick change in ammunition type. The idea was to combine longer range proximity fuse ammunition with APFSDS rounds and their close-in destructive power. An alternative ideas was that with increased rate of fire a single gun mount would suffice for smaller and auxiliary vessels. This was developed with both remote control only and local control options.
Fire control
The Fast Forty mount is remote control only and is meant to be used with external fire control radar in order to serve as a true close-in weapon system. An optronic director for manual targeting by an operator is a secondary control option. The Single Fast Forty comes in a remote control configuration and two local control options, differing in quality of local fire control.
Firepower
Fast Forty is a further development of the Compatto Bitubo with its combined 600 rpm rate of fire. In the Fast Forty configuration the cyclic rate of fire is significantly increased to 900 rpm. The Single Fast Forty has a 450 rpm cyclic rate of fire. Practical effective range is 6 km against larger surface vessel and up to 4 km against aerial targets. The Fast Forty adds a magazine for APFSDS ammunition and automatically switches as soon as inbound anti-ship missiles are about 1 km away from the vessel.
Platforms
The Fast Forty was meant as secondary armament for corvettes, frigates, destroyers and large surface vessels. The Single Fast Forty is aimed at the market for patrol craft, fast missile boats and auxiliary vessels that need suitable protection.
Users
Whereas the previous 40mm Compatto / Dardo mount was produced in large numbers for many clients, the Fast Forty was not successful in domestic and export sales. Few of these mounts have been produced, including a single Fast Forty mount for a frigate in use with Bangladesh and several Single Fast Forty mounts for Kuwait.
Variants
40mm Fast Forty
Updated twin gun Compatto mount. Looks very similar, but has a slightly different shape turret dome due to the second magazines located on either side of the barrel for armor piercing rounds. Combined cyclic rate of fire is 900 rpm. First marketed in the mid 1980's. Produced in the same Type A and Type B below deck ammunition configurations as the Compatto.
40mm Single Fast Forty
Reduced size and weight Fast Forty mount with single gun. Cyclic rate of fire is 450 rpm. First marketed in 1989. Marketed in three versions. These include remote control only, local control and local control with ballistic computer. The remote control turret was at a later stage also marketed with a stealth cupola.
Details
Media
40mm Fast Forty
40mm Twin Fast Forty with reduced radar cross section gun housing.
Source: OTO Melara
Copyright: copyright lies with original owner
40mm Fast Forty
Artist impression of ammunition feed system within a 40mm Fast Forty Type A turret. Note the additional magazine for APFSDS ammunition located on each side of the guns.
Source: OTO Melara
Copyright: Copyright lies with original owner
40mm Compatto and Fast Forty
Line diagrams showing the dimensions of the 40mm Compatto (top) and Fast Forty (bottom). Note the difference in turret shape.
Source: OTO Melara
Copyright: Copyright lies with original owner
Related articles
40mm Dardo
The Fast Forty is a further development of the Compatto / Dardo system.