The Navy awarded Rheinmetall Defense three framework contracts worth a total of $128 million to provide advanced infantry and screening smoke munitions to the Marine Corps and Navy, the company said on Tuesday.
One of the framework contracts is for the M1110 40 x 46mm day/night training cartridge. The other two are for 66mm vehicle-launched screening smoke grenades. All of the contracts are five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts running through FY ’19.
The 40mm ammunition ordered by the military is set to be produced at the American Rheinmetall Munitions plant in Camden, Ark. The first deliveries are to take place in mid FY ’15, the company said.
Rheinmetall said that “The M1110 is the world’ s first 40 x 46mm low-velocity (LV) cartridge specially designed to enable infantry forces to conduct live fire training at night.”
The M1110 projectile contains two chemiluminescent marking agents, which together are able to mark the impact point of the projectile. The signature of the impact point is visible at both day and at night with the naked eye and night vision devices.
This eliminates the need for high explosive rounds to observe the impact point, the company said. The M1110 projective was specifically developed for the Marine Corps, allowing units to train during all weather and range conditions.
The M1110 has previously been qualified for U.S. military service by the Marine Corps
The 66mm vehicle-launched smoke grenade uses red phosphorus (RP) to provide screening effects in both the visual and infrared bands. This smokescreen protects combat vehicles from observation and subsequent targeting by laser illuminators, targeting devices, and rangefinders, the company said.
Of the two 66m vehicle-launched contracts, one is for the Marine Corps. It will be ordering additional quantities of the Mk 1 Mod 0 version of the 66mm grenade, a grenade that is already qualified and in-service with the Marines.
The second contract was awarded by the Navy. It is to include work on a new version of the Mk 1 66mm grenade designed to be deployed and function over water.
This new version of the grenade will use a modified Mk 1 design that carries a RP formula optimized for screening small boats operating in “brown water” and littoral environments.