Northrop Grumman Corporation, one of the world’s leading producers of 30mm tactical and training ammunition, said on Friday it had got a $24.8 million order for delivering 30x173mm PGU 46/B HEI rounds to the U.S. Army.
The ammunition order will be manufactured at Northrop Grumman-operated facilities in Virginia and West Virginia, and processed through the company at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Missouri. Earlier this year, the U.S. Army ordered $194 million of small-caliber ammunition produced at Lake City.
“We have a long, proven history of delivering the products our soldiers need to help defend our nation,” said Rick Lavelock, vice president, small caliber systems, Northrop Grumman. “This order, for expertly manufactured ammunition, is a testament to the continuous unwavering commitment we have for the U.S. Army.”
The PGU-46 is a modification of the PGU-13 HEI, adding a non self destruct, Northrop Grumman Low Drag fuze.
The Low Drag fuzes produced exclusively by Northrup Grumman, provides superior performance at extended ranges. These rounds are capable of defeating light armor vehicles and ground targets used with the Mk44 and GAU-23 (which arm AC BOJ gunships) or any cannon firing 30mm x 173mm ammunition.
According to The Drive, the single-barrel GAU-23/A is a variant of Orbital ATK’s Bushmaster II cannon. The Navy has installed its own version, the Mk 44, on the San Antonio-class of amphibious ships and the new Zumwalt-class destroyers as a means of defending against small, swarming watercraft.
The U.S. Army recently began to field a new type of Stryker armored vehicle with another variant of the weapon, known as the XM813.
Northrop Grumman’s 30mm ammunition is currently fired from many platforms worldwide.
