MINNEAPOLIS, April 12 (UPI) -- ATK of Minnesota has received a $49 million contract option to produce Light Weight 30mm M789 High Explosive Dual Purpose ammunition for the U.S. Army.
The M789 round is fired by ATK's M230 Chain Gun, which is in use on the U.S. Army's AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopters.
"The dual-purpose M789 round provides the firepower necessary to penetrate armor while maintaining its high-explosive capability for use against soft targets," said Dan Olson, vice president and general manager of ATK Integrated Weapon Systems. "This versatility has made it a highly effective combat round, and it is currently supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan."
The contract option was issued by the U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Contracting Center, Rock Island, Ill.
ATK said delivery of the optioned rounds is set to begin in September of next year. Production will take place at the company's facilities in Virginia and West Virginia.
Additional details were not disclosed.
