, Mo.—The Army’s small caliber ammunition plant here has begun shipping the primary bullets for a brand new caliber of ammunition for testing that might be fired from a brand new family of rifles nearing final design and development by Sig Sauer, which in April 2022 won a possible $4.7 billion contract for the Next-Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW), the commander of the plant said last week.
The Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (LCAAP) will initially supply the bullets and Sig Sauer the case, which is the outer brass jacket the projectile matches into. The gun maker may also be accountable for load, assembly and pack the of the finished cartridge, which is the finished 6.8 caliber ammunition.
Sig Sauer is currently the prime contractor for the NGSW and the ammunition and is accountable for the design of each, however the Lake City plant will eventually takeover all ammo production.
Lake City’s a part of this system is on schedule, Lt. Col. Christopher Denton, commander of the power, told reporters on May 17 during a media briefing and tour.
Olin Corp.’s [OLN] Winchester division is accountable for running the power—including all the things from ammo production to security and lawn maintenance—and the Army provides oversight.
Product qualification testing of the NGSW rifle and automatic rifle is slated to occur between May and July. The Army previously said the initial operational test and evaluation of the rifles will begin within the third quarter of FY ’23.
The Lake City plant stays on target to start interim production at low-scale of the entire 6.8 caliber ammo in the primary quarter of calendar yr 2024, Adam Hinsdale, the civilian executive assistant at LCAAP, told reporters.
Initial production by Winchester at LCAAP might be done in existing facilities. Ground is predicted to be broken in 2024 on a brand new Constructing 4 on the plant, which is able to house complete 6.8 caliber production. The brand new facility is predicted to be accomplished in 2026 and fully commissioned by 2028.
Within the last six months, the unique Constructing 4, where .30 caliber ammunition was made, has been demolished and the land completely cleared to prepare for the brand new facility. Denton said the brand new Constructing 4 is within the design phase.
Come 2028, LCAAP will grow to be this system of record for the 6.8 ammo, ramping to full production because the NGSW is fielded. There are two combat weapons which can be a part of NGSW, the XM7 Rifle and the XM250 Automatic Rifle, which is able to replace the present M4 Rifle and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon utilized by close combat forces, respectively.
While supply chain issues have been a priority for the defense industrial base attributable to material and labor impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Denton said that LCAAP isn’t seeing any lingering challenges and is meeting its production targets, which contractually are as much as 1.6 billion rounds annually. The plan was capable of meet its ammo quota throughout the pandemic, he also said.
The plant’s core competencies are 5.56, 7.62 and .50 caliber munitions. The 6.8 caliber rounds will add a fourth competency, he said.
LCAAP supplies small caliber ammo for all of the military services and likewise counts foreign militaries and federal law enforcement agencies amongst its customers.
