Orbital ATK to Provide MK44 Bushmaster Chain Guns for Lithuanian Vilkas Infantry Fighting Vehicles
March 16 2017 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
Gun System Supports Programmable Air
Bursting Precision Ammunition
Orbital ATK (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense
technologies, announced today that the company’s MK44 Bushmaster®
Chain Gun® was selected by the Lithuanian Ministry of National
Defence to arm the Lithuanian Army’s new Vilkas 8x8 infantry
fighting vehicles. The gun system will support air bursting
ammunition that can defeat enemies hiding in protected
positions.
Orbital ATK will deliver the first MK44 chain guns beginning in
mid-2017. Upon contract completion, the company will have supported
the integration of 90 cannons with Rafael’s Samson MKII Remote
Weapons Station. The cannon’s increased firepower, coupled with the
weapon station’s low-silhouette and ability to reload under armor
inside the hull, provide greater crew survivability and
effectiveness as compared to Lithuania’s current infantry fighting
vehicle fleet.
“With an installed base approaching 2,000 cannons worldwide, our
MK44 is sought after for its proven reliability and effectiveness
by our allies fielding new systems or needing to upgrade existing
platforms to meet growing threats,” said Dan Olson, Vice President
and General Manager for the Armament Systems Division of Orbital
ATK’s Defense Systems Group. “Our guns represent a commitment to
working together with our nation and our allies to create and
deliver superior armaments and services for those who defend their
nation’s security.”
The guns come prepared to use Orbital ATK’s 30mm MK310
Programmable Air Bursting Munitions (PABM) for precise,
point-in-space burst to defeat enemy targets in defilade positions.
The cartridge offers air-burst, point-detonate and point-detonate
with delay fuze settings. The PABM cartridge can provide lethal
suppressive fire through its air-burst function or penetrate
light-armor vehicles or reinforced concrete walls. The MK310’s
delay function allows the round to penetrate a wall or fortified
structure and burst on the other side, reducing collateral damage
while increasing effectiveness.
The MK44 is capable of being upgunned to a 40mm configuration.
This provides future growth for the gun system to provide greater
stand off and firepower to meet emerging threats. Recently the
company demonstrated the MK44’s ability to defeat defilade targets
with both 30mm and 40mm PABM before a group of more than 150
customers and industry partners during its Bushmaster User
Conference. Additionally, the cannon fired the company’s newly
developed 40mm high-explosive incendiary traced and target practice
rounds.
Orbital ATK’s Defense Systems Group is an industry leader in
providing innovative and affordable precision and strike weapons,
advanced propulsion and hypersonics, missile components across
air-, sea- and land-based systems, ammunition and related energetic
products.
About Orbital ATK
Orbital ATK is a global leader in aerospace and defense
technologies. The company designs, builds and delivers space,
defense and aviation systems for customers around the world, both
as a prime contractor and merchant supplier. Its main products
include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; missile
products, subsystems and defense electronics; precision weapons,
armament systems and ammunition; satellites and associated space
components and services; and advanced aerospace structures.
Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK employs
approximately 12,500 people in 18 states across the U.S. and in
several international locations. For more information, visit
www.orbitalatk.com.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170316005022/en/
Media:Orbital ATKBryan Kidder, 410-864-4932Defense
Systems Group
Communicationsbryan.kidder@orbitalatk.comorInvestor:Orbital
ATKBarron Beneski, 703-406-5528Public and Investor
Relationsbarron.beneski@orbitalatk.com
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