ATK, GenDyn team on Marines munitions

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MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- ATK and General Dynamics have teamed to offer rifled, precision extended range munitions for the U.S. Marine Corps' 120mm mortar system.

PERM is integral to the Marines' Ship-to-Objective-Maneuver contingency operations, which support Marine infantry units with precision, long-range mortars fired from the Expeditionary Fire Support System towed-mortar platform.

Under the terms of the teaming agreement, ATK will be the prime contractor to the Marines Corps for the PERM engineering and manufacturing development program, providing guidance fuse technology combined with General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems' propulsion and warhead subsystems.

"By combining our proven mortar guidance capability with General Dynamics' propulsion technology and EFSS experience, we stand to offer the Marine Corps a low-risk, capabilities-based solution that will fulfill their requirements in the shortest time possible," said Bruce DeWitt, vice president and general manager for ATK's Advanced Weapons division.

The Expeditionary Fire Support System is a light, mobile and vertically transportable indirect fire support system designed for missions requiring tactical versatility, speed and close-in fire support. The system is composed of a pair of Prime Mover vehicles, a 120mm M327 mortar weapon, the four-round family of munitions and an ammunition trailer.

The EFSS is designed to be internally transportable in the MV-22B Osprey and the CH-53 helicopter and has been in fielded with the Marine Corps since 2009.