Proposal: Bofors 40mm Mk4 + APKWS = DIAD Turret (Drone interdiction & Area Denial)
BAE owns both the Bofors 40mm mk4 and the APKWS 70mm systems, propose that combining them would give synergistic effects against aerial and surface drones on navy ships.
I assume you would have to beef up the mounting ring and build a frame underneath the carbon fiber outer shell of the mk4 to support stubby weapon mounts on each side. Use the same mounting system as the Apache - this would give you the flexibility to mount 7-19 round rocket pods, 2-4 Hellfires, or switchblade/coyote drones on each side. While you are buffing up mounting points/motors- upgrade the carousel feed system of the mk4 to that of the K21 South Korean IFV. You would get 240(30+210) 40mm ready rounds versus 100(30+70).
Mount an independent Electro optical sight and laser designator on top of the turret. Use IR imaging and AI to constantly watch for drones or small vessels. Especially around ports.
Upcoming APKWS upgrades include a dual mode seeker for a target and fire/forget firing system along with upgraded rocket fuel(Ursa labs) for a possible bump in range to 8+ miles. 40x365mm rounds have a range from up to 6 miles with airburst rounds. Both of these could be used as a CIWS for basic missile defense as well.
Both systems are proven and cheap when compared to their competition in this field. 40mm 3P ammo is around $27 USD per round and a 70mm APKWS rocket is around $35,000 per rocket (no idea how much a dual mode seeker would add, but I bet it is still a helluva lot cheaper than a $300k JAGM) This matches up well against a $20-50k Shahed 136.
240 rounds and 38 rockets of drone luvin' fun.
Excuse the quick AI image, not exactly what I envisioned, but it conveys the idea (and it looks pretty cool). Thoughts? Pros and cons?