The US Army has contracted American Rheinmetall Munitions Inc. to produce an artillery extended range charge (ERC) prototype for 155-millimeter munitions.
The ERC will reportedly extend the range of 155-mm munitions by 10 percent when fired from an L58 length artillery cannon.
According to Rheinmetall, the contract builds upon its successful collaboration with the army in researching and developing new technologies to bolster the capabilities of its 155-mm munitions.
“American Rheinmetall Munitions’ charge is particularly exceptional because it can achieve a 10 percent range performance increase over the entirety of the operational temperature profile, including in ambient scenarios,” the company said in a press release.
The company stated that the new propellant technology would give US Army soldiers a decisive edge in deterring and defeating adversaries.
Investments in Powerful Munitions
The US Army’s recent contract with American Rheinmetall Munitions Inc. is part of the country’s push to continually improve the capabilities of its artillery munitions.
Earlier this year, the Army placed a $66-million order with Raytheon Technologies for M982 Excalibur GPS-guided heavy artillery projectiles.
The Excalibur is a 155-mm extended-range shell that features first-round effects-on-target capabilities for increased lethality and minimized collateral damage.
The service also tapped Alliant Techsystems Operations LLC to transform its conventional 155-mm artillery shells into GPS-guided smart munitions.