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WASHINGTON, D.C., May 5, 2004. In the coming year, the Italian Navy will deploy ART (Ammunition at Reduced Time of Flight), a new non-lethal weapon that will contribute to the fight against the illegal smuggling of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Produced by naval gun systems manufacturer Oto Melara, ART can be fired from 76mm guns used by the U.S., most of NATO and 54 navies around the world. Oto Melara is owned by Finmeccanica S.p.A., Italy's largest defense and aerospace company.
ART is an extended range round that is shaped like a rocket for greatly improved accuracy. "ART is so good," says Oto Melara CEO Carlo Alberto Iardella, "that it can disable the rudder on a ship without sinking it or injuring the crew. This means that ships smuggling sensitive contraband such as nuclear materials or missiles can be stopped on the high seas if they try to evade law enforcement organizations."
ART will also be available with a microwave-programmable multifunction fused explosive warhead to meet military requirements. Its enhanced accuracy and long range make it an ideal system for threats including swarming boats and sea-skimming missiles, and it meets anti-ship and anti-aircraft requirements.
President Bush announced a special program to combat proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in May, 2003. Named the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), 11 nations initially joined to "interdict threatening shipments of WMD and missile-related equipment and technologies via air, land and sea." Of the 11 nations that joined the PSI, 10 use the Oto Melara 76mm gun system, making it the premier tool for interdicting sea-borne illegal weapons shipments.
"The Oto Melara 76mm gun is the world's leading naval gun system and gives the U.S. and its allies a global capability in the fight against weapons of mass destruction and terrorism," says Dr. Stephen Bryen, President of Finmeccanica, Inc., based in Washington D.C. The ART ammunition does not require any modification of the existing gun systems. Furthermore it is compatible with existing ammunition and ammunition loading systems.
The first exercise in the PSI program, called 'Pacific Protector,' took place in the Pacific region last year. The sea-portion of Pacific Protector was led by HMAS Melbourne, an Australian Adelaide class frigate equipped with the Oto Melara 76mm gun. This year, an Atlantic exercise was conducted with the sea-borne portion led by Italy. The Italian frigates also use the Oto Melara 76mm gun system.
Oto Melara has been producing naval guns, weapon systems and armored vehicles since 1905. The company has a turnover of 330 million Euros, a portfolio of orders of 1,170 million Euros and 1345 employees. Oto Melara products are operational in 53 countries around the world including the United States and most of Europe as well as Japan and Australia.
Finmeccanica Group companies currently have several leading products being marketed in the US including the US-101 Helicopter, a candidate to replace Marine One (the Presidential helicopter); the C-27J transport aircraft, which is part of the C-130J family and shares the same avionics, pallets, engines, but can perform a tactical role as an STOL aircraft with better than 3G military performance; advanced multimode radars ideal for the Littoral Combat Ship; non-Lethal highly accurate ammunition to interdict and stop ships carrying weapons of mass destruction; advanced turrets for the Future Combat System; and mobile license plate readers for police cars to identify possible terrorist vehicles and help America effectively implement its Amber Alert system.
For more information, see www.finmeccanica.it.
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