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APFS-DS Firing

Alliant Techsystems (ATK) in Plymouth, MN received a $38 million modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for M829A3 120mm Kinetic Energy Cartridges. These are APFS-DS (Armor-Piercing, Fin-Stablilized, Discarding-Sabot) rounds, fired from the M1 Abrams mostly to kill other tanks. The M829A3 cartridge has a total weight of 22.3 kg and length of 892mm. It uses 8.1 kg of RPD-380 stick propellant, accelerating a 10kg projectile to a muzzle velocity of 1,555m/sec. The penetrator uses depleted uranium; the sabot is built of composite materials.

Including a contract awarded earlier in the company’s fiscal year for Production Year 3, the total value of its FY06 awards for M829A3 rounds is approximately $77 million. ATK is the sole source supplier of the M829A3, and they will have delivered over 35,000 M829A3 units once Production Year 4 contract is complete. Production of the M829A3 occurs at ATK’s manufacturing center of excellence in Rocket Center, West Virginia. Program management is headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota. Work allocation is Rock City, WVA (50%), Jonesborough, TN (25%), and Radford, VA (25%), and is expected to be complete by Dec. 30, 2008. This was a sole source contract initiated on Nov. 14, 2005 by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ issued the contract (DAAE30-98-C-1094).