Tank and Medium Caliber Ammunition
Abstract
The Weapons and Munitions Engineering Development Program Element (PE) encompasses a comprehensive program to develop, rapidly transition to production, and field advanced weapons and munitions. These programs will ensure continued battlefield overmatch and lethality of U.S. maneuver forces against the full range of modern battlefield threats. To achieve this, Weapons and Munitions Engineering Development Program will identify and develop promising technologies through competitive development and streamlined acquisition procedures. M829E4: The M829E4 cartridge is an Abrams delivered Line of Sight (LOS) munition that will provide capability for the current force Armored Brigade Combat Team's (ABCT) commander to conduct decisive operations and destroy current and future enemy Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) equipped with Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) and Active Protective System (APS) at ranges from 0-2km (T) and 0-4km (O). The M829E4 equips ABCT commanders with a unique capability which will increase the ABCT's lethality and ability to seize the initiative during unified land operations. After an Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) Phase I competitive shoot off in FY 2011, Alliant Techsystems (ATK) was awarded the option to continue with Phase II until its conclusion in FY 2015. FY 2012 supported the continuation of Phase II of the M829E4 cartridge. FY 2013 funding supported design finalization, design verification, fabrication and initial testing of Developmental Test and Evaluation (DT&E) hardware. The full performance of the M829E4 is obtained with an Abrams equipped Ammunition Data Link breech modification. FY 2014 supports conducting hardware and performance testing, mandated Live Fire Test & Evaluation (LFT&E) and completion of Milestone C. FY 2015 supports qualifying a second source for the composite sabot material. The current single source supplier for this material has significantly increased the cost for this material, more than doubled, and expressed intentions of possibly getting out of this business. Qualification of a second source will result in competitive pricing and driving down the unit price cost, as well as mitigate the risk of the current supplier exiting as a supplier of this material. One Way Luminescence (OWL): Current legacy small caliber ammunition tracer rounds are comprised of a pyrotechnic tracer mix that allows enemy forces to visually see the trace round and track its trajectory back to the shooter. The objective of the OWL program is to develop and field a full day/night tracer technology to replace the current M62 pyrotechnic trace cartridge, with a new trace cartridge that is only visible to the shooter and those soldiers in close proximity. Advanced Multi Purpose (AMP): The Advanced Multi Purpose (AMP) program is a direct fire line of sight 120mm large caliber munition to be developed for the Abrams Main Battle Tank. It has three modes of operation including point detonate, delay and airburst. AMP is the material solution for breaching reinforced concrete walls and defeating Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) teams from 50m to 2000m (T) and 50m to 4500m (O), a validated gap that cannot currently be met with existing stockpiled ammunition. In addition to added capability, AMP will also consolidate the capabilities of four existing stockpiled 120mm munitions, thereby addressing the users' battlecarry dilemma by allowing them to load a single munition that is capable of defeating multiple targets including ATGM teams, reinforced walls, personnel, light armor, bunkers, and obstacles. The full performance of the AMP is obtained with an Abrams equipped Ammunition Data Link breech modification, the same required by the M829E4. FY 2015 supports multiple contract awards for competing prototypes in Phase I of II for Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD). Medium Caliber Ammunition: The Target Practice Day Night Thermal (TP-DNT) cartridges are 40mm grenade training cartridges. The low velocity variant is for training with the M203/M320 grenade launchers; the high velocity variant is for training with the Mk19 grenade machine gun. Both cartridges will provide the Warfighter with a non-dud producing, environmentally friendly training cartridge that provides a visual impact signature seen day or night, by the naked eye, through night vision devices, and thermal weapon sights. These cartridges will replace the 40mm Target Practice, M918/M385A1 (Mixed Belt) cartridges and the 40mm M781 cartridges. It is expected that the unit price for high velocity cartridges will be lower than the Mixed Belt cartridges. Funding for FY 2015 activities transitions to PE 0604802/Project EC1. Advanced Armor-Piercing (ADVAP): The overall program objective is to develop and field an Advanced Armor Piercing (ADVAP) 7.62mm cartridge in order to defeat threat targets and provide overmatch capability versus a broad spectrum of hard targets into the future. Tunable Pyrotechnic Aircraft Countermeasure: This project will support research, development and testing to field new expendable countermeasure munitions that will protect Army aircraft from advanced and current guided-missile threats. Advances in the capability of threat systems to counter current decoys necessitate development of new expendable countermeasures. This program is considered essential to provide Army Aircraft protection against surface-to-air weapon systems. Ammunition Logistics Prototyping: This project supports the future force by improving the distribution, management, reliability and survivability of ammunition through the advanced development, integration, and demonstration of logistics system enablers. These enablers will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of ammunition operations, to include retrograde, while reducing the logistics footprint on the battlefield. Technology areas addressed include handling, distribution, and management (strategic and tactical), prognostics, diagnostics, and asset visibility, explosives safety, and adaptive and environmentally friendly packaging and palletization. The efficient deployment and sustainment of reliable ammunition is vital to success on the battlefield. This project enhances the operational effectiveness of the ammunition logistics system to ensure the distribution of reliable ammunition to the warfighter.
Document Details
- Document Type
- R2 Budgetary Justification
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2015
- Source ID
- 0603639A_4_2040_PB_2015
- Change Summary Explanation
- Service Agency Name
- Army
Entities
Organizations
- United States Army
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