Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:37:23-1:39:04

What a modern twin 8-inch turret could deliver

A modern twin 8-inch mount might combine roughly 150-mile reach with about twenty rounds per minute, while point defence would still have to cope with incoming shells.

8-inch Guns155 mm Advanced Gun SystemClose-In Weapon SystemsNaval Gunnery
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Question

With modern technology, how fast and how far could a twin 8-inch naval gun fire, and could point defence stop the shells?

Short answer

About 150 miles and twenty rounds per minute for a twin mount, with close-in defence offering some interception capability.

Notes

The estimate begins with the demonstrated range ambitions of the 6-inch Advanced Gun System and scales the larger weapon from that reference. Guided 8-inch ammunition could reach around 150 miles, with each barrel firing about ten rounds per minute. A twin mount could therefore deliver twenty heavy rounds per minute, creating a serious magazine-depth and saturation capability. Close-in systems have already been used against artillery and mortar threats, so the gun-versus-defence contest would involve both range and interception capacity.