LIGHTEN UP


Lightweight small- caliber efforts have come a long way.


Fahrenheit. Troughout the ammunition development process, improvements were continuously informed by Soldier touch points, engineering assessments and developmental testing. Te fielding of XM1186 and XM1188 serves as a critical step forward in the use of alternative materials in small caliber ammunition to lighten Soldier loads.


MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHTWEIGHT WORK The Joint Lightweight Ammunition Integrated Product Team (JLWIPT) meets annually to synchronize lightweight programs across the services to prevent duplication of effort and to identify opportunities for collaboration. Te JLWIPT also has established a partnership with the United Kingdom.


Under this partnership, the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence leads the 5.56 mm lightweight effort, with the Army leading 7.62 mm and the U.S. Marine Corps leading .50-cali- ber efforts.


Over the course of the past two years, PM MAS and PM Ammo (part of Marine Corps Systems Command) have taken advan- tage of this partnership to support advancement of the Marine Corps’ MK323 .50-caliber polymer-cased ammunition. Trough shared funding and oversight, PM MAS and PM Ammo executed a joint limited user assessment in July 2022, design verification testing in January 2023 and reliability testing in July 2023. Tese critical activities supported the safety concurrence by the Navy Weapon System Explosives Safety Review Board in early 2024 to allow the fielding of MK323 for Marine Corps use. Collab- oration between PM MAS and PM Ammo on these events has significantly reduced testing quantities required for Army qual- ification. PM MAS and PM Ammo are currently executing a developmental contract for MK323 to improve manufactur- ability and performance in extreme temperatures to support


MAKING LIGHT WORK


Polymer-cased rounds like these, used in a recent Marine Corps training exercise, are 30% lighter than their brass counterparts, reducing the weight that warfighters have to transport. (Photo by Cpl. Cameron Hermanet, U.S. Marine Corps)


46


Army AL&T Magazine


Summer 2024


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