Weapons and Munitions Engineering Development

Abstract

This Program Element funds multiple efforts for engineering development of weapons and munitions systems. Project 613: This Project supports both the High Explosive Guided Mortar (HEGM) and the Weaponized Universal Lightweight Fire-control (WULF). The High Explosive Guided Mortar (HEGM) project funds engineering development of precision guidance systems applicable to Indirect Fire mortar weapon systems. HEGM provides a precision capability to support the close fight in urban and complex terrain, while at the same time, reducing collateral damage. HEGM provides precision accuracy and effectiveness for 120mm mortar systems using precision guidance systems that will effectively reduce target delivery error. The HEGM capability will be developed through the use of improved guidance and control components and advanced airframe design that allow sufficient maneuver of the cartridge in flight to correct for induced error providing the ability to engage targets without the need to adjust fire. The Weaponized Universal Lightweight Fire-control (WULF) project funds engineering development of fire-control systems applicable to Indirect Fire mortar weapon systems. WULF is a digital sight integrated with digital fire-control that is designed for aiming of the M252 81mm mortar system and other man portable mortar systems (60mm and 120mm). The digital sight unit and Fire Control will allow the Soldier to emplace the mortar systems faster and fire more accurately. WULF will improve the accuracy of the M252 mortar. Project EC4: This project will standardize various pyrotechnic that simulate battlefield effects. The Army's Combat Training Centers (CTCs) are currently using non-standard munitions to replicate both conventional and asymmetric warfare battlefield effects. These modified commercial-off-the-shelf products have not been type classified, material released, and are not safe or sustainable for use by Soldiers. This effort will develop and demonstrate various pyrotechnics/simulators to replicate both conventional and asymmetric warfare battlefield affects such as: Black smoke signature (burning vehicles, buildings, and equipment); Yellow smoke signature (chemical, biological or nuclear effects); Macro pyrotechnics to simulate hostile fire and small Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) during mounted operations in urban terrain; Micro pyrotechnics to simulate indoor hostile fire and IED effects that are capable of being integrated into existing facilities; Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) on a wire to replicate the flight of a Rocket Propelled Grenade; High Order Blast Effect (HOBE) used to replicate a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED), building explosions, and other significant explosive events; Artillery airburst (LA45) simulator to replicate indirect fire; simulator to replicate a STINGER (LA47) firing; Tracer Fire-back simulator to replicate enemy small arms fire and anti-aircraft fire. Standardization will reduce training costs, eliminate redundancies between systems, mitigate environmental concerns and safety risks associated with realistic scenario based training. Project ED7: The Advanced Multi Purpose (AMP) program is a direct fire line of sight 120mm large caliber munition under development for the Abrams Main Battle Tank. AMP has three modes of operation including point detonate, point detonate delay, and airburst. AMP is the materiel solution for breaching double 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 120mm M829A4 cartridge that achieved Milestone C in FY 2014 and achieved Full Materiel Release in FY 2015. FY 2019 will support the continuation of Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) Phase 2 and transition into Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP). This includes the completion of the Developmental Test and Evaluation (DT&E) cartridge build, initiation and completion of DT&E, and Milestone C. Continue to evaluate the scalability for future combat platforms. Conduct fuze risk reduction effort with potential second source supplier. Demonstrate feasibility of a training round for AMP. Project EL9: 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. FY 2019 funding will be used to integrate the munitions health monitoring system and continue to integrate passive time/temperature exposure sensors with additional developmental ammunition items and conduct qualification tests for both. Project EP3: The small caliber Reduced Range Ammunition (RRA) Project is a critical technology development in response to the 7.62mm and .50 caliber Capabilities Development Documents (CDD). The overall objective of RRA is to provide training ammunition suitable for use on military installations with Surface Danger Zone (SDZ) restrictions. The relatively long maximum range of the 7.62mm and .50 caliber service ammunition poses challenges on training ranges in range restricted areas. RRA will mitigate a training gap on installations by providing a materiel solution that meets training needs while shortening and condensing the SDZ. This will allow soldiers to train with 7.62mm and .50 caliber weapons on restricted ranges. The RRA cartridge design will be compatible with all Army 7.62mm and .50 caliber weapons, but specifically optimized to work in the M240 and M2 Machine Guns. FY 2019 funding will support Milestone (MS) B activities to include Request for Proposal (RFP), Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) Contract Award for the 7.62mm caliber variant. Funding will also explore lessons learned from the Marine Corp .50 Caliber Reduced Range Ammunition effort and other various options to satisfy the .50 Caliber reduced range requirement. Project EP4: The One Way Luminescence (OWL) project is a critical technology development in response to the 7.62mm and 5.56mm Families of Ammunition Capabilities Development Documents (CDD) and .50 Caliber Munitions CDD. Current small caliber ammunition tracer rounds are a pyrotechnic tracer mix which allows enemy forces to see the trace round and track its trajectory back to the shooter. OWL projects objective is to develop and field a full day/night tracer round, replace the current pyrotechnic cartridges with trace cartridges that are only visible to the shooter and soldiers in close proximity, increasing soldier survivability. 7.62mm is the immediate focus followed by 5.56mm OWL cartridges and later followed by .50 Caliber cartridges. FY 2019 funding will support post Milestone B (MS B) activities to include Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD), Design Verification Testing (DVT), Preliminary Design Review (PDR), and a User Assessment (UA) for the 7.62mm caliber ammunition. Project EP5: This project supports both the Advanced Armor-Piercing ammunition and the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) Family of Ammunition. Advanced Armor-Piercing (ADVAP): The ADVAP project is a critical technology development in response to the 7.62mm and 5.56mm Family of Ammunition Capabilities Development Documents (CDD). The nomenclature for the 7.62mm ADVAP is XM1158. The overall objective of the ADVAP project is to develop and Full Materiel Release (FMR) both 7.62mm XM1158 cartridge for the M240 machine gun and ADVAP ammunition in calibers below 7.62mm. The objective is to provide overmatch capability to defeat advanced light armored threats within typical machine gun engagement ranges. FY 2019 funding supports continuation of Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) efforts and activities to accelerate the project. Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) Family of Ammunition: The NGSW ammo is a new ammunition technology under development for use in the Next Generation Squad Weapon systems. The objective is to develop and Full Materiel Release (FMR) the new ammunition. FY 2019 funding supports Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) efforts and activities to accelerate the project for the Enhanced Performance Round (EPR) variant and the Advanced Armor-Piercing (ADVAP) variant. Follow-on development efforts for additional NGSW ammunition variants including tracer ammunition, blank ammunition, and reduced range ammunition will start in FY 2022. Project EP7: This project will support Integrated System Design (ISD), System Capability (SC) and Manufacturing Process Demonstrations (MPD) on current pyrotechnic munitions and tunable pyrotechnic aircraft counter measures and decoys. The project will also support ISD, SC and MPD on new expendable countermeasure munitions that will protect Army aircraft from advanced and current guided missile threats. Activities include modeling and simulation, flight testing, qualification testing, engineering to reduce size and weight, environmental considerations, safety enhancements, manufacturing enhancements, qualification of other service and foreign munitions that could meet current requirements, product improvements, insertion of new technologies to increase performance, and enhancement of current flare solutions for new and existing aircraft. Systems include impulse cartridges, pen flares, hand held signals, trip flares, simulators, marine markers, smoke pots, smoke grenades, rail road flares and other type of emergency/distress devices, aircraft expendables (to include Radio Frequency (RF) expendables), and primers used in munitions systems. Project EU4: 40mm Improved High Explosive Dual Purpose (I-HEDP) is a new capability identified as a Warfighter requirement in the 40mm High Velocity I-HEDP Capability Development Document (CDD). The I-HEDP tactical cartridge provides the warfighter with the ability to achieve the required lethal effects against enemy personnel in the open and to defeat personnel targets in defilade position. Additionally, the I-HEDP cartridge will be able to defeat unarmored and lightly armored vehicles. FY 2019 funding supports Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) activities including source selection, contract award, Design Engineering Tests (DET), and technical design. Project EU6: The 155mm High Explosive Extended Range Artillery Projectile project will evaluate, develop and qualify extended range technologies, including the XM1113 in 39 caliber weapon systems with legacy propellants. The XM113 effort is a government owned materiel solution for long-range cannon artillery projectile that will increase range by 10km+ in 39 caliber weapon systems, and contain twice as much rocket motor grains as the current 155mm long range cannon projectile that is now obsolete. The XM1113 will leverage enhanced lethality cannon munition technologies to compensate for increased rocket motor volume. This design will utilize a high fragmentation steel body with a streamlined ogive and a high performance rocket motor. The projectile body is filled with an insensitive munition (IM) high explosive (HE) and a supplementary charge. FY 2019 will support the completion of the Developmental Test phase of Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) and the completion of the Critical Design Review (CDR) in 4Q FY 2019. Project EU7: The Enhanced Lethality Cannon Munitions (ELCM) project will accelerate the qualification of Lithographic Fragmentation Technology (LFT) on the 155mm XM1128 high explosive projectile, per HQDA G-8 Directed Requirement for a Rapid Bridging Solution for the 155mm Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munition 22 December 2016. The project addresses requirements for increased lethality of 155mm high explosive unitary projectiles (Initial Draft Requirements for the XM1128 with Lithographic Fragmentation Technology, 24 February 2017). The ELCM project will also evaluate, develop and qualify new lethality technologies for 155mm cannon artillery munitions and evaluate their effectiveness in mitigating evolving and derived capability gaps, and support transition to production. The ELCM project will support testing of the Israeli Military Industries (IMI) Systems M999 advanced cluster munition, per HQDA G-8 Directed Requirement for a Rapid Bridging Solution for the 155mm Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munition 22 December 2016. The project will complete a lethality arena test on the M999 submunitions to be conducted at the IMI facility in Israel. FY 2019 will support the completion of the Product Qualification Testing (PQT) test series for the XM1128 and the finalization of the Capability Production Document (CPD) by 4Q FY 2019. Project EU8: The Improved Multi-Option Fuze project will integrate the results of Budget Activity 04, Program Element 0603639A, Project EU2 and qualify/Type Classify (TC) new improved Multi-Option Fuzes (iMOFA/iMOFM) with Government-owned Next Generation Proximity Sensor (NGPS) capabilities containing built-in exportability attributes previously matured via OSD-sponsored tech base efforts under the Joint Fuze Technology Program and Defense Exportability Features (DEF) Congressional Pilot Program. Continuing FMS sales of non-precision artillery and mortar ammunition fuzes containing proximity technology will increase the incidence of reverse engineering (RE) and threat of electronic countermeasures (ECM). If realized, these threats will negate the current battlefield advantages of U.S. troops. The pending policy-driven loss of Cannon DPICM will further increase the importance of NGPS / Height of Burst (HoB) fuzing capabilities to efficiently engage enemy target sets. This Project will develop and qualify safe, affordable, reliable Proximity/HoB fuzing solution for non-precision Cannon artillery and Mortar munitions that are resistant to adversary exploitation via ECM and RE threats. Project EW1: High Explosive Air Burst (HEAB) is a new capability identified as a Warfighter requirement in the Capability Development Document (CDD), 40mm Low Velocity (LV) Family of Ammunition Annex. The 40mm LV HEAB tactical cartridge allows the warfighter to engage targets at increased effective ranges using the 40mm M203/M320 Grenade Launcher. The HEAB cartridge provides the grenadier with a higher probability of achieving a first shot kill against enemy personnel, coupled with the ability to defeat personnel targets in defilade positions at increased effective ranges with greater accuracy and lethality. When deployed against point and area targets, the cartridge inflicts incapacitating effects against personnel at increased ranges beyond those offered by the current M433 High Explosive Dual Purpose (HEDP) cartridge. The cartridge provides lethal effects against targets with improved accuracy and greater standoff ranges increasing Soldier Survivability. FY 2019 supports Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) effort for competing prototypes and continues EMD design activities. The 40mm Low Velocity (LV) Door Breach (DB), XM1167, cartridge allows the grenadier to conduct a ballistic breach of an existing door creating an entry point into a building or other structure. This capability is critical during Urban Operations, while having stand-off ability to conduct ballistic breach at ranges up to 50 meters away, with a single-shot, and without pause between actual breach and entry of initial force. The 40mm DB cartridge will provide the small unit with the capability to conduct breaching operations; allowing the Warfighter to create an entry point in a structure allowing an assault element to enter and begin clearing operations, which is the most difficult type of operation that Soldiers may face in an urban environment. The 40mm DB cartridge will reduce collateral damage and friendly casualties associated with breaching operations. The deployment of 40mm DB cartridges will enable the small unit to gain and maintain a tactical advantage through efficiency of combat power and momentum. FY 2019 supports Design Engineering Testing (DET) and Developmental Test and Evaluation (DT&E). Project FA6: The 30mm Lethality Project funds development of a suite of 30x173mm caliber cartridges, which includes anti-personnel tactical and training cartridges and anti-materiel tactical and training cartridges. The objective is to enhance the operational effectiveness and lethality of the Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) and any Army Fighting Vehicles that are equipped with a 30x173mm weapon system. The tactical cartridges will provide an organic direct fire capability to support infantry at a greater range and will improve lethality when engaging dismounted infantry and like armored vehicles. The training cartridges will be ballistically matched to the tactical cartridges, allowing the Warfighter to train in a cost effective manner. This Project will leverage earlier efforts in support of the Stryker Operational Needs Statement for Increased Lethality. FY 2019 funding will continue to support the ammunition qualification activities and development of performance specifications in support of the 30x173mm Programmable Airburst Munitions - Tracer (PABM-T) Urgent Materiel Release (UMR). FY 2019 effort also includes activities for developing/qualifying a 30x173mm Programmable Airburst Munition (PABM) along with an initial Design Engineering Test (DET). The objective is to field airburst capable 30x173mm cartridges and programming/communication units for use in Stryker ICV and/or Army Future Fighting Vehicles. Project S36: The Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) is a course correcting fuze that provides near precision accuracy and efficiency for current and future155mm High Explosive (HE) projectiles by eliminating a portion of the inherent errors associated with ballistic firing solutions which effectively reduces the number of projectiles required to execute fire missions. PGK utilizes a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and internal Guidance and Navigation Computer to accomplish its mission with point detonating and height of burst fuzing functions. The PGK M1156E1 effort will incorporate and qualify state of the art technologies to increase the functionality of PGK in GPS degraded environments as well as compatibility with the Army's new long range cannon and projectiles which will be fielded during the PGK Life Cycle.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2019
• Source ID: 0604802A_5_2040_PB_2019
• Service Agency Name: Army

Entities

Organizations

• United States Army

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Ammunition
• Ammunition Testing
• Armored Vehicles
• Asymmetric Warfare
• Electronic Countermeasures
• Explosive Devices
• Explosives
• Fire Control Systems
• High Explosive Ammunition
• High Explosives
• Insensitive Explosives
• Lessons Learned
• Munitions
• Munitions Testing
• Performance Tests
• Test And Evaluation
• Weapons Effects

Readers

• Munitions and Ordnance Engineering

Technology Areas

• Microelectronics
• Microelectronics - Microelectromechanical Systems
• Space