Army orders more M2HB machine guns

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 14 (UPI) -- General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products is producing new M2 machine guns for the U.S. Army and modifying others.

The company said Tuesday the two delivery orders and contract modification, awarded by the Army's TACOM Life Cycle Management Command in August, are worth a total of $73.5 million.

In total 5,080 M2 Heavy Barrel machine guns will be manufactured and 6,000 M2HB guns will be modified to the M2A1 configuration.

Production work will be completed at the General Dynamics facility in Saco, Maine, which has manufactured the M2 machine gun since 1979.

The M2HB production work starts this month and will be completed in February 2013. Production of the M2A1 guns will begin in April 2011 and be finished in May 2012.

Program management will be performed at General Dynamics' Williston Technology Center in Williston, Vermont.

"Called the 'Ma Deuce' by soldiers in the field, the M2 machine gun continues to be a highly accurate, effective weapon," said Mike O'Brien, vice president and general manager of gun systems for General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products. "We have delivered more than 35,000 M2 guns for our customer and with this award we will continue to manufacture one of the world's most reliable guns for U.S. warfighters."