The U.S. domestic defense companies American Ordnance LLC has received a contract for 40mm M918E1 practice rounds.
The contract, announced Friday by the U.S. Department of Defense, is worth more than $92,3 million and provides acquisition of M918E1 40mm high-velocity target practice cartridge.
Work will be performed in Middletown, Iowa; Bonaparte, Iowa; Mountainside, New Jersey; Lynchburg, Virginia; O’Fallon, Missouri; Radford, Virginia; Coachella, California; and Louisville, Kentucky, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2020.
According to the American Ordnance LLC, the M918E1 is a target practice round designed to simulate the M430 cartridge. It is fired from the 40mm Grenade Launchers M75 and M129, as well as the 40mm Machine Gun MK 19.
The cartridge is a fixed round of ammunition consisting of a one-piece steel projectile body which is fitted to a cartridge case assembly. The ogive assembly seals the front end of the projectile cavity which contains an aluminum insert with a flash charge.
Upon impact with the target the flash charge ruptures the bottom of the projectile producing a flash, smoke and loud report.