Aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman has been contracted by the U.S. Navy to create a guided naval artillery shell.

According to its developers, the new 57 mm shell is designed for use from Naval Mark 110 Naval guns, which are typically mounted on Littoral Combat Ships used by the U.S. Navy.

Source: Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman suggests that the 57 mm guided high explosive shell will be capable of adjusting its flight path as it approaches a particular target while also countering surface threats, drones and drone swarms.

Further, the 57 mm shell features an onboard seeker for identifying moving targets along with a fuse that automatically chooses between proximity or point-detonation mode to effectively combat a target.

Additionally, the shell will also feature guidance technology — similar to the "Precision Guidance Kit," which is a U.S. Army-designed precision guidance system for turning existing 155 mm artillery shells into smart weapons — that allows the shell to offer continuous trajectory guidance to targets that might pivot.