Oct. 28, 2015 / 3:14 PM

Orbital ATK producing new fuze for U.S. Navy

A next-generation all-electronic fuze for use on precision-guided munitions is to be produced by Orbital ATK.

DULLES, Va., Oct. 28 (UPI) -- A new all-electronic fuze for precision-guided munitions is to be produced by Orbital ATK under a contract issued by the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command.

The company's FMU-139D/B fuze, building on its all-electronic FMU-167/B Hard Target Void Sensing Fuze, will enable enhanced reliability, increased fuze functionality, and added capability to defeat hard and deeply buried targets, Orbital ATK said.

"Orbital ATK's FMU-139D/B will be the cornerstone of the military's general purpose bomb fuze for the foreseeable future," said Pat Nolan, vice president and general manager for Orbital ATK's Missile Products, a division of the Defense Systems Group.

"This award affirms our position as a technology leader within the military fuze and sensor industry, and will deliver more capability and greater reliability to our warfighter."

Article testing, qualification and fuze production work will be conducted by Orbital ATK's Allegany Ballistics Laboratory facility in Rocket Center, West Virginia.

The award is worth a total of $426 million, with $24 million from the Navy and U.S. Marine Corps obligated at time of the contract signing.

Production is expected to run through May 2024.

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