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Archive for the ‘weapons’ Category

RM277 Next Generation Squad Weapons from General Dynamics-OTS, Manufactured by Beretta Defense Systems

Wednesday, October 14th, 2020

General Dynamics-OTS is competing with Textron Systems SIG SAUER in the US Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) program which seeks to replace the current M4A1 Carbine and M249 Light Machine Gun in the close combat squads with a Rifle and Automatic Rifle designed to fire 6.8mm ammunition. The intent is to provide similar characteristics to 270 Win Short Mag. It’s important to note that the 6.8mm settled on by the Army is the equivalent of .277 in Imperial measurement.

General Dynamics-OTS is partnered with Beretta Defense Systems and True Velocity to offer their NGSW candidate system. The .277 ammunition size has influenced the naming of their rifle and ammunition, the RM277, which also makes it handy to begin marketing to other customers.

General Dynamics-OTS designed the bullpup RM277 and Beretta provides Research and Development support and future high-volume manufacturing capabilities at its new Gallatin, TN, facility.

When the Army decided on a 6.8 cartridge, they left it up to industry to develop the actual ammunition. True Velocity has named their composite cased cartridge the 277 TVCM.

The composite construction makes it 30-40% lighter than current, conventional ammunition. Additional benefits are reduced heat transfer as the composite insulates the chamber and bolt face, the production of extremely concentric and consistent case and precise powder drop which results in consistent pressure and muzzle velocities for improved accuracy, and elimination of heavy metals that produce adverse health effects on Soldiers.

TV also boasts magnetic retrieval of spent cases during training and a case which is 100% recyclable.

Unlike the weapon candidates from their competitors, GD-OTS’ M277-R and RM277-AR are extremely similar. The AR is naturally longer and heavier for sustained fire.

Rather than introducing a box-fed rifle and belt-fed automatic rifle like the others, the bullpup design called for both weapons to be box-fed. The bullpup also allows for longer barrels for both increased velocity and accuracy.

They are gas and recoil operated and impulse averaged with short recoil to offer controllable, accurate automatic fire. They also incorporate dual firing modes, closed bolt in semi-automatic mode and open bolt in automatic mode. Naturally, the weapons feature ambidextrous controls. The suppressor is 3D printed and provided by Delta-P.

Having participated in Soldier Touch Points and reliability and performance testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground, next up for General Dynamics-OTS is to incorporate feedback from Prototype Testing #1 into their design and produce the Prototype Testing #2 samples of weapons and ammunition.

Images supplied Beretta.

For some more background on how the Army ended up with NGSW, read this. Admittedly, I was quite skeptical at first, particularly after the Army had just a failed to select a replacement for the M4 just a few years before with the Individual Carbine program and then the start-stop fiasco of the 7.62mm Carbine effort. But, after watching industry rise to the challenge, I quickly went through the stages of grief to acceptance and am now quite optimistic that the Army will field a new capability.

Arnold Defense Announces Two Major Orders for FLETCHER Land Based 2.75-inch Rocket Launcher

Tuesday, October 13th, 2020

Arnold Defense, the St. Louis based manufacturer of 2.75-inch rocket launchers, is pleased to announce the receipt of two major orders for their unique FLETCHER Land Based, Laser Guided Rocket Launcher. The FLETCHER precision guided 2.75-inch/70mm weapon system was first unveiled in 2017 at DSEi in London.

Arnold Defense is unable to disclose specific details regarding the new contracts in place however, one of the two orders has come from USSOCOM and the other is from an undisclosed European specialist unit. The timings, numbers, configurations and concepts of use are different for each customer, but Arnold and their integration partners will be delivering a combination of single (4-round) vehicle-mounted FLETCHER systems, as seen on display at numerous exhibitions and a new and unique twin-mounted (8-round) FLETCHER variant. Vehicle and static mounted FLETCHER systems give the user the ability to accurately engage targets from the ground at a range of over 5km.

Since the launch of the concept in 2017, FLETCHER has been showcased at a number of international exhibitions, generating exceptional levels of interest whilst Arnold Defense have continued with an ongoing development and investment program to broaden and prove the system’s already revolutionary capability. In April 2019 Arnold Defense announced the placement of the very first ‘proof of concept’ order for FLETCHER. In June of this year, BAE Systems announced the successful live firing of their APKWS® laser-guided rockets using the FLETCHER ground-based launcher. Arnold Defense are also working on some other revolutionary development projects for FLETCHER including a boat-mounted marine variant and further development of their 23-round MLHS ground-based system, first unveiled at DSEi in 2019.

With FLETCHER, Arnold Defense has made a bold departure from the traditional concept of use for 2.75-inch rocket systems; that of an area suppression weapon delivered by aviation assets.  Arnold’s innovative approach FLETCHER using advanced rocket-guidance technology to utilize ground-based launch platforms, meeting the demands of modern, vehicle-mounted and dismounted asymmetric warfare.

FLETCHER’s unique design allows for ease of operation, maintenance and sustainment.  It employs an existing suite of guidance modules, rockets and warheads, already used in well-known programs and readily available to global forces. As a result, the FLETCHER system is ‘rocket agnostic’ allowing the user to fire their existing in-service 2.75-inch rockets of choice.

Doug Wallace, recently appointed President at Arnold Defense said, “Arnold Defense is delighted to have signed these two contracts to supply our supremely capable FLETCHER surface-based rocket launcher.” He added, “FLETCHER has generated huge interest globally with its unique capability to deliver organic, long-range precision firepower to even the smallest tactical element. It is great to see serious international interest developing into firm orders and we’re expecting much more to follow.”

www.arnolddefense.com

The supporting image has been provided by MSI Defense, an integration partner of Arnold Defense. This image is an example vehicle fit of FLETCHER and is not representative of anything mentioned in this press release regarding the contracts announced.

Textron Systems Next Generation Squad Weapon Update

Tuesday, October 13th, 2020

Yesterday, Wayne Prender, Textron Systems’ Senior Vice President of Applied Technology and Advanced Programs gave us an update on their Next Generation Squad Weapon candidate system which is currently vying against General Dynamics-OTS and SIG SAUER to outfit the US Army’s close combat forces (and possible the Marines as well) with a new family of weapons in an entirely new caliber, 6.8mm. But Textron isn’t going it alone. They’ve teamed with Heckler & Koch and Winchester, two other small arms powerhouses.

NGSW is an ambitious program in both scope and schedule which will replace the M4 Carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, both in 5.56mm. The issue with these two weapons is that the US Infantrymen remains overmatched by enemies who employ longer range small arms.

The new 6.8mm cartridge was developed specifically to increase not only range, but also the amount of energy delivered on target. It performs in a similar fashion to the commercial 270 Win Short Mag round and will provide our troops with overmatch of threat small arms. Additionally, the goal is to lighten the whole package, weapons and ammo, at 20% lower than current.

The secret sauce in Textron’s submission is their novel Case Telescoped ammunition. This construction, with the projectile encased within the cartridge and surrounded by propellant, allows it to be shorter than conception SL ammunition.

This ammunition is not only lightweight but also allows for an entirely new operating system with the rimless cartridge being pushed forward throughout the firing cycle.

This operating system is also designed so that the weapon carries the ballistic load of the ammunition during firing rather than the cartridge case. The polymer case also expands slightly during firing.

NGSW-Rifle

This is Textron System’s NSGW-Rifle. The program initially called it a Carbine but the performance parameters the Army is seeking really needs a more full-sized weapon. Hence, Rifle.

NGSW-Automatic Rifle

The belt-fed Automatic Rifle is designed to replace the current Squad Automatic Weapon. The CT ammunition is held together with polymer circumferential links.

How They Got Here

Development of the technology for Textron Systems began about 15 years ago, with subsidiary AAI working on the Lightweight Small Arms Technology. With a goal of lowering the weight of both weapon and ammunition, like the current NGSW effort, they initially created a 5.56mm version, then moved on to 7.62mm and finally a 6.5mm variant once research began to indicate that an intermediate cartridge was required.

When the Army decided to field replacements for the M249 and M4, LSAT seemed like a natural starting point. Initial development was referred to as NGSW-T (we’ve shared video of that effort in the past).

This led to the Next Generation Squad Automatic Rifle Production Opportunity Notice with six companies participating. Naturally, Textron was fully engaged and remains so in the current effort.

So far, they’ve concentrated on milestone 1 which is a prototype test, delivering 30 weapons (15 of each type) and 185,000 rounds of ammunition to support testing.

The Future

The program office continues to forge ahead on this priority effort, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with ongoing technical testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground and Soldier Touch Points. Textron’s Prender assures us they are ready to deliver on the current time line and are even poised to scale to the Army’s demands for initial fielding. In fact, they are so confident, they are already working on both blank CT rounds as well as blank firing adapters.

They’ve also embraced the Soldier Touch Points, taking feedback directly from the troops on ergonomics and the manual of arms for this weapon system. They’re integrating this feedback along with data from Aberdeen on their initial reliability and performance testing into their PT 2 build. PT 2 will require the delivery of 30 Rifles, 28 Automatic Rifles and 680,000 rounds of ammunition.

Interestingly, Prender related that Winchester manufactured the CT ammunition in house, using standard ammunition manufacturing machinery. This means that although their program partner Winchester is now operating the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, it won’t require a huge investment in new technology should they win.

I’m sure Textron Systems has even more in store and can’t wait to see what they show us next time.

To learn more, download Textron’s brochure on their NGSW system, click here.

For some more background on how the Army ended up with NGSW, read this. Admittedly, I was quite skeptical at first, particularly after the Army had just a failed to select a replacement for the M4 just a few years before with the Individual Carbine program and then the start-stop fiasco of the 7.62mm Carbine effort. But, after watching industry rise to the challenge, I quickly went through the stages of grief to acceptance and am now quite optimistic that the Army will field a new capability.

German Military Cancels Contract With CG Haenel for New Rifles After H&K Alleges Patent Infringement

Friday, October 9th, 2020

Last month, the German Defense Ministry announced a contract award to CG Haenel for 120,000 of the MK556 carbine to replace the G36 manufactured by Heckler & Koch.

This sent shockwaves through the small arms industry as H&K had provided rifles for the German Army since the 1950s. The win was based primarily on price but as soon as the award was announced, many began to question whether CG Haenel could handle the scope of the contract.

This is partly navies CG Haenel is part of the Merkel Group, which is under Tawazun Holding (United Arab Emirates) (Caracal). That being said, the Haenel plant was once used to manufacture rifles for the East German Army when that country still existed.

The MK556 is quite similar in design to the HK416 and that is because the chief engineer for the 416 project left HK years ago, first for SIG where he worked on the MPX and MCX and later to Caracal where he developed a family of rifles.

Heckler & Koch is suing CG Haenel for alleged Intellectual Property infringement. Consequently, the German government has cancelled the contract in what may well be a case of buyer’s remorse.

S.W.O.R.D. Defense Announces Piston Upper Receiver Group – Enhanced Release

Friday, October 2nd, 2020

New Upper Receiver, Superior Performance for our Warfighters

Sparks, NV — S.W.O.R.D. International’s Defense division has announced immediate availability of the Piston Upper Receiver Group-Enhanced (PURG-E). The PURG-E, which is designed to address problems identified by warfighters with current weapon systems and the M855A1 round. The PURG-E integrates with Mil-Spec lower receivers and was engineered and manufactured to provide a cleaner, highly reliable, and extremely durable operating system.

“The M855A1 has a number of characteristics in its design that make it an effective tool for the warfighter, some of those characteristics such as the increase in chamber pressure and cartridge design make it a liability for existing DoD weapon systems.  We designed our PURG-E upper to solve these accuracy, reliability, and durability issues.  The PURG-E upper converts existing MIL-Spec lowers to the right system for the M855A1 cartridge.  The PURG-E also allows for use of the readily available cartridges such as M855, Mk-262 MOD1, and COTS ammo.”
-Jeremy Elrod, President

New Upper for New Ammo

Created in response to direct feedback from those who have worked in the field, the PURG-E reduces fouling, gas blow-back, identified after adopting new M855A1 ammunition. The PURG-E is an upgrade to the M-4 Carbine, redesigned yet compatible with current issued M-4 Mil-Spec lowers having semi-only or select-fire systems.

Enhanced Features

PURG-E features are centered on the rotating bolt, which is built with added material and radius where it counts most. Other improvements include:

• A driving band ride surface and lubrication groove to minimize the flex seen with a standard ring style bolt configuration.

• A newly designed, incredibly durable ultra-lightweight bolt carrier that substantially reduces unlocking and recoil impulse.

• Enhanced materials used in carrier, bolt, and operating system to increase strength and reliability.

• Proprietary enhanced gas piston system to allow for use of traditional rounds and M855A1

These enhancements make the PURG-E a far more effective tool in the hands of warfighters while maintaining the tried and true proprietary, self-regulating, short-stroke gas piston system.

Specifications

Weight: 4.2 lbs

Overall Length: 23.5”- 25.5”

Height: 7 ¾? Rear sight to bottom of pistol grip

Barrel Length: 12.5”-16” Cold Hammer Forged

Caliber: 5.56 x 45 NATO (M855A1)

Mode of Fire: Safe, Semi-Automatic, Fully Automatic

Feed Mechanism: Magazine 10/20/30/60 Round

Operating System: Short stroke gas piston and pushrod system Rated action spring (Included) Hydraulic recoil damper (Included)

Coatings: Bolt/Extractor Titanium Nitride, MPI tested Carrier Black Nitride

For more information visit sworddefense.com/purge.

Glock Announces Coast Guard Adoption of Gen 5 Glock 19 MOS

Thursday, October 1st, 2020

In spite of committing to the M18 variant of DoD’s Modular Handgun System made by SIG SAUER, the US Coast Guard appears to have changed course and adopted the Glock Gen 5 G19 MOS according to a press release by Glock. The pistols will be purchased through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) contract.

U. S. Coast Guard Selects and Fields GLOCK Pistols

SMYRNA, Ga. – September 29th, 2020 GLOCK, Inc., a global leader in firearm manufacturing, is proud to announce that the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has selected and begun fielding the GLOCK pistols after a thorough review of testing results.

The USCG operates under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during peacetime with a maritime law enforcement mission with jurisdiction in domestic and international waters.  The USCG is charged with protecting America’s economic, national, and border security as America’s maritime first responder.  With missions of search and rescue, homeland security, and national defense, the USCG requires a reliable sidearm that performs in all conditions and harsh elements.

After careful evaluation of existing federal contracts supported by GLOCK, the USCG selected to purchase through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) contract the GLOCK 19 Gen5 MOS as the standard service pistol. USCG acquisition objective was fulfilled by GLOCK within four months of the initial purchase request. CBP’s extensive solicitation process, which included independent testing by the Institute of Justice Laboratories, comprehensive field evaluations, and direct input from 16,000 CBP law enforcement personnel, helped guide the selection by USCG. 

“GLOCK is honored to support the requirements of the USCG and provide a weapon solution that delivers on unmatched performance and value in any environment,” said GLOCK, Inc. VP Josh Dorsey.  “The comprehensive testing and evaluation process conducted by CBP demonstrated the GLOCK pistols lasting reliability that instills confidence in those who use it to go into harm’s way.”

The CBP award incorporates GLOCK’s newest 5th Generation technology pistols. For more information about GLOCK Gen5 technologies, visit us.glock.com .

AeroVironment Introduces Family of Loitering Missile Systems Featuring New Switchblade 600, Delivering Precision Strike Capabilities at the Battlefield’s Edge

Thursday, October 1st, 2020

• Switchblade 600 builds on battle-proven Switchblade 300, with patented “wave-off” feature and ability to recommit, with increased range, extended endurance and multi-purpose anti-armor munition for use against larger, hardened targets  

• Lightweight, self-contained Switchblade 600 launch tube system allows for deployment flexibility from fixed and mobile platforms on land, in air or at sea  

• Switchblade 600 with advanced EO/IR gimbaled sensor suite, precision flight control and more than 40 minutes of endurance delivers immediate reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition

• New tablet-based Fire Control System allows operators to easily train, plan missions and execute flight operations

AeroVironment’s Family of Loitering Missile Systems – Switchblade® 300, Switchblade® 600, Blackwing™ Loitering Reconnaissance System (Photo: AeroVironment)

SIMI VALLEY, Calif., Oct. 1, 2020 – AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), today announced the introduction of its family of loitering missile systems, featuring the new Switchblade 600. Switchblade 600 builds on the battle-proven track record of Switchblade 300 to define a new category of extended range loitering missiles. The U.S. Army recently awarded AeroVironment a $76 million contract award for Switchblade 300 system procurement and support as part of the Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) program. Based on the same tube-launched, collapsible wing, electric propulsion architecture as Switchblade 300, the new, larger Switchblade 600 offers expanded capabilities for engaging larger, hardened targets at greater distances.

“Since pioneering the loitering missile category with Switchblade 300 more than 10 years ago, AeroVironment has worked with multiple new customers to develop scalable variants that could address new mission requirements,” said Wahid Nawabi, AeroVironment president and chief executive officer. “Now that Switchblade 300 has been adopted by the U.S. Army for its LMAMS program, our customers are eager to deploy Switchblade 600 because it can address larger, hardened targets in a more precise, rapid and cost-effective manner than legacy missile systems.  We anticipate continued expansion of our family of loitering missile systems to help our customers proceed with certainty across a broader set of missions.”

Rapidly deployable, highly maneuverable, with high performance optics and scalable munition payloads, AeroVironment’s Switchblade loitering missile systems enable the warfighter to easily launch, fly, track and engage beyond line-of-sight targets and light armored vehicles with lethal effects and minimal or no collateral damage. A required man-in-the-loop arming sequence provides positive target confirmation, while AeroVironment’s patented “wave-off” feature and recommit capability delivers the unique ability for operators to cancel an attack within seconds of impact to avoid collateral damage, and then re-engage targets on command. In addition, each system’s small form factor, and low acoustic, visual, and thermal signature make them difficult to detect, recognize or track even at close range.  

Switchblade 300

Weighing just 5.5 pounds (2.5 kilogram), Switchblade 300 is back-packable and can be deployed in less than 2 minutes via the launch tube in which it is transported, which can be easily integrated into land, air or sea platforms. Once airborne, Switchblade 300 can be remotely piloted or autonomously guided, providing up to 15 minutes of tactical reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA). Real-time video and cursor-on-target GPS coordinates provide situational awareness, information collection, targeting and feature/object recognition. Combining a dash speed of 100 mph with an advanced munition delivery, Switchblade 300 provides the warfighter with quick response and precise target prosecution against static or mobile threats, with low collateral damage.

Switchblade 600

This all-in-one, man portable, 50-pound (22.7 kilogram) solution includes everything needed to launch, fly, track and engage non line-of-sight targets with lethal effects and can be set up and operational in less than 10 minutes. Switchblade 600 deploys from the launch tube in which it is transported to allow the flexibility for ground, air or vehicle platform launches at extended stand-off range. This provides operators with superior force overmatch, while minimizing exposure to direct or indirect enemy fires. With a 115 mph dash speed and on-board anti-armor warhead, Switchblade 600 has the firepower to engage and prosecute hardened static and moving light armored vehicles from multiple angles with precise localized effects, while minimizing collateral damage.

Equipped with a high-performance EO/IR gimbaled sensor suite, precision flight control and more than 40 minutes of flight time, Switchblade 600 delivers unprecedented tactical reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA). This allows Switchblade 600 to transit up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) to a target area before conducting multiple confirmatory orbits, and engage in target prosecution – without the need for external ISR or fires assets. Should non-combatants be observed within the proximity of the target, Switchblade’s patented “wave-off” feature and recommit capability allows operators to abort the mission at any time, and then re-engage either the same or other targets multiple times based on operator command.

Also new with Switchblade 600, AeroVironment introduces a touch-screen, tablet-based Fire Control System (FCS) with tap-to-target guidance and the option to pilot the loitering missile manually or autonomously. Combined with its built-in mission planner and training simulator, the FCS provides operators with an intuitive platform to easily plan and execute missions precisely, while reducing cognitive load. Additionally, on-board AES 256 digital encryption and SAASM GPS provide the security, resilient communications and signal integrity necessary to defend against electronic warfare capabilities employed by peer and near-peer adversaries in contested environments.

“Switchblade 600 delivers an unprecedented combination of precision, control and effects on target, addressing missions previously performed with ‘fire and forget’ legacy missile systems that represented more than $1 billion in U.S. Department of Defense procurement appropriations in fiscal year 2020,” added Mr. Nawabi. “The result of our continued innovation at the intersection of robotics, sensors, software analytics and connectivity, Switchblade 600 offers next generation capabilities to our customers for operations against any adversary, in any threat environment.”  

When precision counts, AeroVironment’s family of loitering missile systems provide the actionable intelligence and precision firepower needed to achieve mission success in a wide range of increasingly complex battlefronts. Flexibly deployed from fixed ground positions, combat vehicles with integrated precision fire controls, aerial or maritime platforms, AeroVironment’s loitering missile systems provide field commanders with precision lethality across multiple domains.

AeroVironment is now accepting orders for Switchblade 300 and Switchblade 600, with expected delivery in 2021. For more information on AeroVironment’s loitering missile systems, visit www.avinc.com/tms.

LMT Defense Wins U.S. Army Contract to Produce Grenade Launchers

Wednesday, September 30th, 2020

Published 9/30/2020

LMT Defense, America’s premier weapons manufacturer, is pleased to announce that they have been selected to provide grenade launchers to the U.S. Army.

Official Announcement:

The $17,031,520.00 award is a firm-fixed-price contract to order M203/M203A2 grenade launchers and spare parts. The estimated completion date is Sept. 18, 2025.  U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-20-D-0107).

Karl Lewis, President and CEO of LMT Defense stated, “LMT Defense is very proud to provide the U.S. Army M203/M203A2 grenade launchers. Enhancing mission effectiveness for our soldiers on the battlefield is our number one priority.” Lewis added, “LMT has made over 15,000 grenade launchers in the last 10 years. We have supported many allied nations, law enforcement, the U.S. Navy, and several other U.S. federal agencies. Every component of the grenade launcher will be manufactured at our 80,000 square foot facility in Eldridge, IA.”