BAE Systems Land & Armaments was awarded a $215.8 contract for production of the M109A7 Self-Propelled Howitzer and the M992A3 Carrier Ammunition Tracked vehicles.

Work on the contract, announced Friday by the Department of Defense, will be performed in York, Pa., with an estimated completion date of January 2021. Army fiscal 2018 procurement funds in the amount of $215.8 million were obligated at the time of award.

The M109A7 Paladin is a self-propelled tacked 155mm artillery system designed to accompany mechanized units and provide fire support on a shoot-and-move basis.

It has a crew of six and can fire many types of rounds from it's M126 howitzer, ranging from standard high explosive to field artillery scatterable mines.

The M992A3 functions as a modern version of the caisson and can carry up to 95 rounds of ammunition. It's mission is to accompany mechanized artillery for resupply.

The M992A3 is armored and tracked, giving it mobility and survivability compared to its predecessors.

The Paladin has been widely exported and remains the standard self-propelled 155mm artillery system of the U.S. following the cancellation of the follow-up Crusader system.

Gen Dyn tapped for Abrams 120mm training rounds
Washington (UPI) Sep 27, 2018 -General Dynamics Ordnance & Tactical Systems has received a $20 million contract modification for 120mm M1002 tank training ammunition.

Work on the contract, announced Wednesday by the Department of Defense, will be performed in St. Petersburg, Fla., with an estimated completion date of June 2020. Army fiscal 2017 procurement funds in the amount of $20 million were obligated at the time of award.

The 120mm M1002 Target Practice Multipurpose Tracer training round is designed to emulate the M830A1 High Explosive Anti-Tank Multipurpose Tracer round.

The M1002 has a dummy air/ground switch and provides the same ballistic parameters and time-of-flight of the M830A1 for training purposes.

Safety features include a tailcone stabilizer which limits the overall flight range to under 8 kilometers, reducing the requirement for extreme range fans.

The 120mm M830A1 is a standard round on M1A1 and M1A2 variants of the Abrams battle tank. The round is composed of a stabilized steel body with fins which are canted and impart spin to the projectile.

A copper shaped charge is designed to blow a hole in heavy armor on enemy tanks, spraying fragmentation called spalling into the crew compartment. Related effects can detonate fuel and ammunition, causing fires and explosions which would destroy the tank. The munition can also be used against fortifications, buildings and other hardened targets.

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Taiwan, Bahrain contract Lockheed for sniper targeting pods
Washington (UPI) Sep 26, 2018
Lockheed Martin has received an order for Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods in two foreign military sales for Bahrain and Taiwan. The Royal Bahraini Air Force has ordered 19 Sniper ATPs for the F-16 Block 70 platform, and Taiwan has ordered 18 pods for the mid-life upgrades of their F-16 platform. "Sniper ATP continues to be a must-have product on platforms worldwide for its superior performance and reliability," Michael Williamson, vice president of Sensors & Global Sustainment at Lockheed ... read more