The Army awarded ATK [ATK] orders for more than $266 million in small caliber ammunition under an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, according to a company statement.
The Army Contracting Command, Rock Island (ACC-RI), orders are for a mix of 5.56mm, 7.62mm and .50-caliber military ammunition, which will be produced at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Mo., according to a statement.
The ammunition, made of lead, brass and copper, is to be used in small arms and is currently in production, according to a company spokesman. ATK will continue making deliveries on these orders throughout the year, the spokesman added.
The Army and ATK are nearing completion of a $276 million modernization project at the Lake City facility, which includes the capacity to increase production of the new 5.56mm Enhanced Performance Round, or M855A1, according to a statement. The M855A1 offers “significant target performance” such as a copper slug, bronze tip ID, steel arrow head penetrator, corrosion resistance, flash suppressant and increased velocity, that makes it superior to the 7.62mm ball round, according to a statement.
ATK has delivered approximately 250 million of these rounds since transitioning to production in 2010, according to a statement.
Kent Holiday, ATK small caliber systems vice president and general manager, said in a statement the company has delivered more than 11 billion rounds of ammunition while “modernizing, increasing capacity and improving productivity and efficiency” at Lake City.