General Dynamics Awarded $97M Contract for Tank from US Army

The U.S. Army Contracting Commands, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., and Rock Island, Ill., have awarded General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (GD), three contracts with a total value of $97 million for the manufacture and delivery of 120mm M865 and M1002 tank training ammunition, 105mm M1130 high-explosive (HE) pre-formed fragmentation (PFF) cartridges and 155mm M795 HE projectile metal parts. The M865 Target Practice, Cone Stabilized, Discarding Sabot-Tracer (TPCSDS-T) ammunition is used in the 120mm smooth-bore M256 cannon of Army and U.S. Marine Corps Abrams main battle tanks. The M865 is designed to simulate the characteristics of live ammunition at reduced maximum ranges, to allow practice firings on short-range training areas. The M1002 Target Practice Multi-Purpose Tracer (TPMP-T) training cartridge provides matched exterior ballistics and time-of-flight parameters to the M830A1 High Explosive Anti-Tank Multi-Purpose Tracer (HEAT-MP-T) tactical cartridge when fired from the Abrams tank. The 105mm M1130 HE PFF ammunition is fired from the M119 towed howitzer and is the newest member of the Army's 105mm ammunition family. This modern munition recently achieved full material release (signifying that the Army has rigorously tested and evaluated the item and determined that it is safe, operationally suitable and logistically supportable for use) and has entered service in Afghanistan. ATK has received a $36 million order from the U.S. Army to produce 120mm training ammunition for tanks. The award is for a first base-year with four, one-year evaluated option years. The 120mm training ammunition, used by the M1A1/A2 Abrams main battle tank, includes the M865 kinetic energy and the M1002 multi-purpose anti-tank training rounds. These training rounds closely replicate tactical ammunition in appearance and ballistic performance to provide the warfighter with an affordable, yet realistic training experience. "High-quality training ammunition is essential to helping our warfighters prepare for mission success," said Bruce DeWitt, Vice President and General Manager for ATK's Armament Systems division. "We leverage our production expertise in tactical 120mm tank ammunition to deliver training rounds that meet performance, reliability, and safety requirements for use on U.S. and European ranges." Since 1980, ATK has delivered more than four million rounds of 120mm tactical and training tank ammunition to the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and allied militaries. Through its proven, system-level contracting approach that reduces the risk to the customer, ATK has delivered a constant supply of 120mm ammunition that is consistently reliable and affordable.