Naval Systems

Marineleichtgeschütz 27 mm

Also known as
  • MLG 27
  • MLG27
  • MLG-27
  • Marineleichtgeschütz
  • Marine-Leicht-Geschütz 27 mm
  • Marineleichtgeschütz 27 Millimeter
  • Marineleichtgeschuetz 27 mm
  • SeaSnake 27
  • MLG27-4.0
  • MLG27 4.0
  • MLG 27 4.0
  • BK27M
  • BK 27 M

Marineleichtgeschütz 27 mm is Rheinmetall's remote-controlled German naval gun family built around the BK-27M revolver cannon. Bundeswehr armament lists place 27 mm MLG mounts across German frigates, corvettes, minehunters, and support ships, while Rheinmetall markets the updated MLG27-4.0 as SeaSnake 27 for new frigate integration.

Marineleichtgeschütz 27 mm, 27 mm remote-controlled naval gun, Naval Systems
Image source: Wikimedia Commons: MLG auf EGV.JPG
Profile / Specs

Specifications

Caliber
27 mm x 145
Gun
BK-27M revolver cannon
Operating principle
Gas-operated revolver cannon
Rate of fire
Up to 1,700 rounds per minute
Fire modes
Single shot, adjustable bursts, or sustained fire
Muzzle velocity
1,100 m/s for the SeaSnake 27 configuration
Sensors
Daylight cameras, infrared sensors, and laser rangefinders
Mount control
Remote-controlled shipboard gun station
SeaSnake 27 weight
449 kg without ammunition; 574 kg with 225 rounds
SeaSnake 27 traverse and elevation
Azimuth +/-170 degrees; elevation -25 degrees to +60 degrees
MLG27-4.0 integration
Digital architecture with ship command-system integration and WGS-84 external target-coordinate input
Variants

The page covers the German 27 mm Marineleichtgeschütz family rather than one hull-specific mount. Rheinmetall uses SeaSnake 27 and MLG27-4.0 for the newer BK-27M-based member, while Bundeswehr pages describe the naval use of the BK 27 as MLG 27 or BK27M.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
MLG 27German Navy light naval gun

Rheinmetall identifies the predecessor of MLG27-4.0 as a system used throughout the German Navy and serving as secondary armament on F125 frigates.

Sources: Rheinmetall: Next-generation gun systems MLG27-4.0 for German frigates, Bundeswehr: Bordkanone Mauser 27 Millimeter

MLG27-4.0 / SeaSnake 27Updated remote-controlled light naval gun

Rheinmetall describes MLG27-4.0 as part of the SeaSnake RCWS family, built around the BK-27M revolver gun with digital architecture, electro-optical sensors, laser rangefinders, and F126 integration.

Sources: Rheinmetall: Next-generation gun systems MLG27-4.0 for German frigates, Rheinmetall SeaSnake 27 datasheet, Rheinmetall: Naval weapon systems SeaSnake 27

Carrier Ships

German Navy surface combatants and mine-warfare vessels mount the 27 mm Marineleichtgeschütz as a close-range defense gun. Bundeswehr armament lists document the system across frigates, K130 corvettes, and Frankenthal-class minehunters.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
Braunschweig-class / K130 corvette, Corvette class, Naval SystemsBraunschweig-class / K130 corvetteCorvette

Bundeswehr lists two 27 mm MLG machine cannons in the Braunschweig-class K130 weapons fit.

Sources: Bundeswehr: Braunschweig-class K130 corvettes

Sachsen class / F124 frigate, Air-defense frigate class, Naval SystemsSachsen class / F124 frigateAir-defense frigate

Bundeswehr lists two 27 mm MLG machine cannons among the Sachsen-class F124 weapons.

Sources: Bundeswehr: Sachsen-class F124 frigates

Brandenburg class / F123 frigate, Anti-submarine frigate class, Naval SystemsBrandenburg class / F123 frigateAnti-submarine frigate

Bundeswehr lists two 27 mm MLG machine cannons in the Brandenburg-class F123 armament.

Sources: Bundeswehr: Brandenburg-class F123 frigates

Baden-Württemberg / F125 frigate, Stabilization frigate class, Naval SystemsBaden-Württemberg / F125 frigateFrigate

Bundeswehr says the F125 class carries two Marineleichtgeschütze, one on each side amidships, for close-range sea and air defense.

Sources: Bundeswehr: Baden-Württemberg-class F125 frigates

Ensdorf class mine-countermeasure vessel, Mine-countermeasure vessel class, Naval SystemsEnsdorf class mine-countermeasure vesselMine-countermeasure vessel

The M 1094 Ensdorf chronology lists a 27 mm MLG 27 in the ship's armament from 2000 onward.

Sources: M 1094 Ensdorf - Das Historische Marinearchiv

Frankenthal class minehunter, Minehunter class, Naval SystemsFrankenthal class minehunterMinehunter class

The Frankenthal class armament list includes one 27 mm MLG mounted on the boat.

Sources: Die Minenjagdboote der Frankenthal-Klasse - Bundeswehr

Unlinked carrier classes

Bundeswehr also lists four 27 mm MLG mounts on Berlin-class combat support ships, but this catalog does not yet have a public Berlin-class record to link from this page.

Sources: Bundeswehr: Berlin-class combat support ships

Designation And Integration Notes

Rheinmetall uses SeaSnake 27 for the updated MLG27-4.0 member of its SeaSnake remote-controlled weapon-station family, while Bundeswehr pages generally describe the in-service German Navy mount as the 27 mm Marineleichtgeschütz or 27 mm MLG.

Baseline role

Close-range defense against sea and air targets from a protected remote-control station inside the ship.

Gun core

The naval mount is built around the BK-27M revolver cannon and keeps the 27 mm caliber used by the aircraft-derived BK 27 family.

New-build fit

The F126 order covers eight MLG27-4.0 systems, with two planned for each frigate and an option for two additional ships.

Timeline

Marineleichtgeschütz 27 mm Key Events

  1. MLG27-4.0 selected for F126 frigates

    Rheinmetall announced an order through Damen Naval for eight MLG27-4.0 systems, two for each of the four planned German Navy F126 frigates.

  2. Bundeswehr describes fleetwide close-range role

    Bundeswehr described the 27 mm Marineleichtgeschütz as a close-range sea and air defense gun installed on most German Navy ships, with F125 frigates carrying one mount on each side amidships.

Media

Marineleichtgeschütz 27 mm Videos

Marineleichtgeschütz 27 mm Images

Marineleichtgeschütz 27 mm, 27 mm remote-controlled naval gun, Naval Systems - view 1
Source: Wikimedia Commons: F260 Braunschweig, port side MLG 27.jpg
Marineleichtgeschütz 27 mm, 27 mm remote-controlled naval gun, Naval Systems - view 2
Source: Wikimedia Commons: MLG 27 port side F260 Braunschweig Rostock 2024.JPG
Marineleichtgeschütz 27 mm, 27 mm remote-controlled naval gun, Naval Systems - view 3
Source: Wikimedia Commons: M1063 Bad Bevensen MLG 27 NOCO2014.JPG
Marineleichtgeschütz 27 mm, 27 mm remote-controlled naval gun, Naval Systems - view 4
Source: Wikimedia Commons: Autocannon MLG27.jpg
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Sources

Bundeswehr: MarineleichtgeschützPublisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports the 27 mm Marineleichtgeschütz close-range sea and air defense role, its installation on most German Navy ships, and the F125 amidships placement context. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Die Minenjagdboote der Frankenthal-Klasse - BundeswehrPublisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports the Frankenthal-class armament list that includes one 27 mm MLG mount. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Rheinmetall: Next-generation gun systems MLG27-4.0 for German frigatesPublisher: Rheinmetall | Note: Supports the SeaSnake family background, the BK-27M core, the 27 mm caliber, selectable fire modes, the sensor suite, digital architecture, ship command-system integration, WGS-84 target-coordinate input, the 1,700 rpm rate of fire, and the F126 order for eight MLG27-4.0 systems. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Rheinmetall SeaSnake 27 datasheetPublisher: Rheinmetall | Note: Supports SeaSnake 27 technical data including BK27(M), 27 mm caliber, 1,700 rpm maximum rate of fire, 1,100 m/s muzzle velocity, 225-round loaded weight, electro-optical sensor fit, traverse and elevation, CMS or stand-alone integration, and no deck penetration. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Rheinmetall: Naval weapon systems SeaSnake 27Publisher: Rheinmetall | Note: Supports the SeaSnake 27 designation and the navalized BK 27 basis for the MLG-27 4.0 light naval gun. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Bundeswehr: Bordkanone Mauser 27 MillimeterPublisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports the BK 27 mm x 145 designation, Rheinmetall Waffe und Munition / Mauser Oberndorf manufacturer context, gas-operated revolver-cannon description, 1,700 rpm rate of fire, and the MLG 27/BK27M naval designation. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Bundeswehr: Braunschweig-class K130 corvettesPublisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports the Braunschweig-class K130 armament list with two 27 mm MLG machine cannons. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Bundeswehr: Sachsen-class F124 frigatesPublisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports the Sachsen-class F124 armament list with two 27 mm MLG machine cannons. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Bundeswehr: Brandenburg-class F123 frigatesPublisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports the Brandenburg-class F123 armament list with two 27 mm MLG machine cannons. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Bundeswehr: Berlin-class combat support shipsPublisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports the unlinked Berlin-class carrier context and its armament list with four 27 mm MLG machine cannons. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Bundeswehr: Baden-Württemberg-class F125 frigatesPublisher: Bundeswehr | Note: Supports the F125 carriage relationship and identifies two Marineleichtgeschütze mounted amidships, one on each side, for close-range sea and air defense. | Accessed: 2026-06-27M 1094 Ensdorf - Das Historische MarinearchivPublisher: Historisches Marinearchiv | Note: Supports the Ensdorf class armament listing with a 27 mm MLG 27 from 2000 onward. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Wikimedia Commons: MLG auf EGV.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the primary image provenance and open-license context. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Wikimedia Commons: F260 Braunschweig, port side MLG 27.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports one gallery image provenance and open-license context. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Wikimedia Commons: MLG 27 port side F260 Braunschweig Rostock 2024.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports one gallery image provenance and open-license context. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Wikimedia Commons: M1063 Bad Bevensen MLG 27 NOCO2014.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance and public-domain licensing for an MLG 27 on German Navy Frankenthal-class minehunter M1063 Bad Bevensen. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Wikimedia Commons: Autocannon MLG27.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance and public-domain licensing for an MLG 27 onboard the Elbe-class tender Rhein. | Accessed: 2026-07-02