When it comes to naval gun systems, the larger the calibre, the longer the range. Rheinmetall’s 35mm Millennium Gun ticks that box, with a range out to five kilometres, and ability to fire a range of advanced munitions.

Rheinmetall Defence Australia Managing Director Gary Stewart said, in Australia, Rheinmetall was synonymous with land vehicles but also offered naval self-protection and training systems. “With a large Australian footprint, Rheinmetall supports Australia, New Zealand, South-East Asia and global customers from the company’s Centre of Excellence in Australia,” he said in a release.

“At Indo Pacific, Rheinmetall will be proudly displaying the Millennium Gun, the 35mm multi-role weapon system,” he added. “The Millennium Gun is designed to engage multiple high speed asymmetric surface targets or swarming attacks.”

Stewart said this gun exceeded US Navy keep-out-range requirements for countering a multi-axis threat from multiple fast-intruder attack craft.

Also on display at Indo-Pacific will be Rheinmetall’s Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS), a naval anti-ship missile countermeasure system. This system launches decoys which, in effect create a smokescreen opaque to ultraviolet, electro-optical, laser infrared, and radar signals.

MASS is in service with a number of navies, including on New Zealand’s Anzac frigates.

Stewart said this fully computerised and trainable countermeasure system protected ships from attacks by modern, sensor-guided anti-ship missiles on the high seas or in the littorals, as well as from asymmetric, terrorist-type threats.

“MASS offers significant tactical, operational and logistical advantages,” he said. “It can be installed on any type of ship, and operates either in stand-alone mode or as an integral part of the ship’s networked C4I and weapon engagement system.”