Army seeking producers for 105mm round

Ammunition manufacturers will have an opportunity to produce 105mm high-explosive rounds for the Army's newest armored combat vehicle, according to an Oct. 10 public announcement.

Designed to be fired from the M10 Booker, the Army is seeking contractors that can produce the 105mm M393A3 High Explosive Plastic (HEP) cartridges capable of defeating bunkers and breaching double reinforced concrete walls, the announcement states, which was updated on Oct. 19.

“Production facilities must be in place or require minimal effort to establish,” the announcement adds.

Annual production quantities will range from 3,500 to 6,500 for a fixed-term contract with production deliveries lasting up to 34 months, the announcement reads.

Manufacturing will also include M393A3 HEP-T, a tracer round that can illuminate for more than five seconds.

The M939A3 comes from a family of ammunition, which includes canister and training variants.

The round can be fired from the M68 tank gun, which was used on the Army’s earlier combat vehicles, and the XM35 tank gun, which is used on the M10.