BAE Systems unveils modular Sea Tridon naval gun family at Euronaval 2026

At Euronaval 2026, held from November 3 to 6, 2026, at Paris Nord Villepinte, France, defense manufacturer BAE Systems introduced the Sea Tridon modular 40mm weapon family. The scalable naval protection systems are engineered for military surface combatants, government enforcement vessels, and commercial shipping platforms facing asymmetrical aerial, surface, and shore-based vectors.

Core Technology and System Architecture
The weapon family comprises four configurations built around combat-proven Bofors 40mm hardware and programmable 3P ammunition. The foundational Sea Tridon combines the 40mm automatic cannon with an integrated electro-optical fire-control assembly to enable autonomous sensor operation and reduced dependence on external combat management systems. The Sea Trinity configuration functions as an integrated close-in weapon system, combining the cannon assembly, programmable ordnance, and dedicated radar fire-control tracking to defeat incoming anti-ship cruise missiles and uncrewed aerial systems. For deep integration into centralized shipboard command frameworks, the lightweight Bofors 40 Mk4 configuration interfaces directly with shipboard combat suites. Operational flexibility is established through the pre-launch programmable Bofors 3P projectile, which configures automatically via six distinct fuze modes immediately prior to chambering to defeat armored surfaces, small surface vessels, and aerial saturation targets.

Deployment or Implementation
The modular design supports rapid physical and electronic integration across varied hull types. The Sea TridonC variant provides a containerized module engineered for expedient bolt-on deployment, allowing operators to outfit military auxiliary vessels, government patrol craft, or merchant ships with mission-specific self-protection without permanent structural dry-dock alterations. Physical and digital interfaces maintain cross-variant hardware and software commonality, reducing crew qualification timelines, lifecycle spare-parts footprints, and onboard maintenance requirements across mixed fleets.

Industry Applications
The system family addresses littoral combat units, blue-water naval fleets, coast guard agencies, and maritime logistics operators. Operational use cases include port defense, counter-piracy operations, escort corridors through contested straits, and point-defense interception against loitering munitions and high-speed surface craft. Standardization across configurations improves overall fleet process stability and sustainment efficiency by utilizing unified supply chains and common diagnostic tooling.

Operational Impact and Performance Metrics
The underlying 40mm mechanism achieves a maximum firing rate of 300 rounds per minute and delivers an effective engagement range up to 12,500 meters. Six distinct 3P fuze settings—including gated proximity airburst, time-delay penetration, and point-detonating modes—allow a single ammunition type to defeat varied threats without magazine reconfiguration.

Lena Gillström, President of BAE Systems Bofors, stated regarding operational flexibility: "Navies and maritime operators can select the capability level that best meets their operational needs while benefiting from a common platform, proven technology and advanced programmable ammunition."

Edited by Natania Lyngdoh, Induportals editor, with AI assistance.

www.baesystems.com