GLOBALLY ENGAGED ACQUISITION ENTERPRISE
T
he efforts to bring the best technology to the warfighter not only start at our Army research institutes but reach outside our borders to experts across the world. International industry part- ners play a crucial role in advancing technology through the
Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase; however, we still face logistical and communication challenges when it comes to collab- orating to further develop capabilities for warfighters.
ADVANCING SMALL CALIBER AMMUNITION For recent small caliber ammunition developments, such as One-Way Luminescence (OWL), international collaboration allowed the government technical community at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center (DEVCOM-AC) to enhance capabilities to bring to the warfighter. Small arms ammunition is typically linked with tracer rounds that allow the shooter to see the trajectory of the ball rounds being fired. Product Manager for Small Caliber Ammunition (PdM SCA) under the Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammu- nition, along with our partners at DEVCOM-AC, began the OWL program to overcome key challenges on 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm legacy tracer ammunition.
Legacy tracer brightness and muzzle flash hindered warfighter survivabil- ity, moreover, the mismatch to the ball round link impeded adjustments during fire and poor lethality performance in comparison to the ball round the tracer is linked with.
To the counter, the OWL program aimed to achieve visibility to the friendly shooter at relevant distances, ballistic match to the ball ammunition it is linked with and similar terminal lethal effects to enhanced performance round ammunition. Tese goals are clear, but achieving the precise chem- ical mixture and manufacturing process to bring these requirements into production reality through the EMD phase proved to be a larger challenge than any one country could overcome alone.
Achieving the right ignition timing, color and intensity in the tiny cavity at the back end of a bullet in a producible design that is similar in cost to a legacy tracer, is a very hard challenge to overcome. Furthermore, the success of this program is being rapidly integrated into the new 6.8 mm Next Generation Squad Weapon ammunition. Tackling the task of imple- menting a newly developed process into the Next Generation ammunition quickly isn’t an easy feat.
PROTOTYPE LINEUP
Early developmental 7.62 mm OWL ammunition from Nammo, in a 4:1 configuration, paired with an M60A1, highlighting previous EMD achievements. (Photo courtesy of JPEO A&A)
PARTNERS ACROSS BORDERS For the OWL program, collaboration with the international community accelerated innovation and provided access to new technologies not located in the U.S. Te global pool modernization and innovation has benefited the U.S. government by investing and adopting cutting-edge manufacturing processes for tracers that were available in Sweden. General Dynamics (GD)
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