At the Naval Gun Factory, National Power Was Produced

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Navies around the world have used naval guns as the main weapon on warships since the 16th century. Over time, warships grew larger and the firepower of naval guns increased. Although the era shifted to fleet air defense systems responding to fighter jets and anti-ship missiles after Japan’s Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, naval guns are still considered primary weapons. They are ideal countermeasures for attacking close-range targets or small vessels. To examine the technology of naval guns installed on our navy’s ships, I visited the Hyundai WIA production facility located in Changwon, Gyeongnam, on the 30th of last month.

The Hyundai WIA Changwon plant consists of five factories in total. Factory 1 produces machine tools, Factory 2 manufactures automotive parts and defense industry products, and Factories 3, 4, and 5 produce automotive parts. Although the factory covers a total area of 82,600㎡ (22,500 pyeong), it did not feel like a naval gun production facility. The neatly organized sight was of various machine tools and automotive parts. Walking about 200 meters down an alley inside the factory, a special process plant came into view. Transparent automatic doors were installed inside the factory, allowing a clear view of the interior. The atmosphere was quite different from other defense companies. Metal plates were laid on the floor where people and goods moved. A company official explained, “Because naval guns are very heavy, the metal plates protect the floor during transport and prevent dust, which helps maintain cleanliness.”

The first thing that caught the eye inside the factory was a gigantic shield. The shield is a cover that protects the naval gun during wartime. The enormous shield measured at least 3 meters in width, length, and height. This was because it was the shield for the 127mm naval gun, the largest naval gun installed on our navy’s ships. To withstand the shock of the gun and prevent corrosion, the aluminum steel plate was over 8cm thick.

Entering the 127mm naval gun production line, yellow plastic containers labeled “special” were filled with unknown parts. A company official explained, “More than 40,000 parts go into a 127mm naval gun, and it takes 30 months to produce one gun.”

Next to it, assembly of the slide assembly, the core component of the naval gun, was underway. The slide assembly moves back and forth each time the gun fires a shell, fixing the gun back to its original position. It withstands shocks exceeding tens of tons and helps the gun to be fired again. The gun assembly that supports the slide assembly was entirely wrapped in pipes. Because moving the 127mm naval gun electrically consumes a lot of power, a hydraulic system using oil pressure is employed. The pipes were for this hydraulic system.

On the adjacent production line, 76mm naval gun production was in full swing. The 76mm naval gun stood upright as if installed on a ship, at the final stage of production. The 76mm gun was the first naval gun developed domestically by Hyundai WIA. A company official invited me inside the gun and led me down stairs to the basement. Inside the gun, a device capable of loading 80 shells was installed. When the gun fires, it returns to its original position hydraulically, and the shells are automatically reloaded.

Senior Researcher Han Sang-chul said, “While a rifle’s barrel becomes too hot to continue firing during rapid fire, the 76mm naval gun has an automatic water cooling system,” adding, “This is why it can fire 100 rounds per minute.”

Next to the 76mm naval gun were aligned barrels. To fire bullets or shells, grooves must be made inside the barrel. This imparts spin to the projectile at the moment of firing, improving accuracy. A rifle barrel has six grooves, whereas a naval gun barrel, due to the larger size of the shells, has 24 grooves. The naval gun barrel also undergoes various special processes such as heat treatment to increase strength and plating to extend its lifespan.

A company official said they would show the 76mm naval gun in action and switched on the power. The 76mm naval gun instantly moved its barrel up, down, left, and right, scanning the front. It took only a few seconds to rotate 360 degrees in place. This demonstrated why, even if other countries purchase naval guns, the blueprints?considered national secrets?are never handed over.

As I left the factory and looked at Factory 1, the slogan “WIA, THE NEXT SOLUTION” on the Technology Support Center building caught my eye. It made me think that this is the place preparing the future of warships with advanced technology.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.