Orbital ATK shows ammo development for MK44 gun

June 27 (UPI) -- Orbital ATK has demonstrated its MK44 Bushmaster Chain Gun firing a variety of 30mm and 40mm ammunition at an event in Arizona for customers.

The demonstration was to showcase the company's development of ammunition for the weapon.

The gun, mounted to a Kongsberg Protector Turret and General Dynamics Land Systems Light Armored Vehicle, used 30mm high-explosive incendiary ammunition against adobe, concrete block and steel panel targets during the demo.

Orbital ATK said the gun then used air-bursting munitions.

The air-burst ammunition is part of a variety of precision technologies for its medium-caliber ammunition that includes proximity detonating and command guidance rounds.

"The MK44 is quickly becoming the most sought after medium-caliber cannon," Dan Olson, vice president and general manager of the Armament Systems Division of Orbital ATK's Defense Systems Group, said in a press release. "Today's battlefield call for greater standoff and increased firepower is driving new combat vehicle platforms to include larger guns and advanced ammunition types. The same is true for upgrade programs."

During the firing demonstration, the MK44 was upgraded to a 40mm configuration through a barrel change and the swap out of several parts. The demonstration in the 40mm configuration showed the increased firepower that the 40mm cannon and ammunition provided in engaging similar target panels as those used when the gun was in the 30mm configuration.

Orbital ATK is currently developing a family of 40mm ammunition, including target practice rounds with tracer, high-explosive incendiary rounds with a tracer and an armor-penetrating fin-stabilized discarding sabot with tracer.