The U.S. Department of Defense has contracted Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) to supply the 30mm XM813 Bushmaster cannons to the U.S. Army.
The contract, from U.S. Army Contracting Command and announced on Thursday, is valued at more than $37 million.
The details were given in a 24 September statement, to announce that ATK was awarded a contract to buy long lead items for the production of XM813 cannons for the Stryker Medium Caliber Weapon System 30mm Lethality Upgrade program.
“Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 24, 2020,” it said in a statement.
The XM813 Bushmaster is based on the Mk44 and is offered as an upgrade for M1126 Stryker and M2 Bradley vehicles, as well as having been a contender to be the primary armament of the GCV Infantry Fighting Vehicle.
Improvements include a 2.54 cm (1 inch) longer barrel, integral mount to increase first round hit probability by up to 10%, a dual recoil system to enhance accuracy and cope with future hotter propellants, and a Meggitt linkless dual feed ammunition system.
This past summer, the Department of Defense also announced that the U.S. Army ordered producers of 30mm tactical and training ammunition.