Army 'surveying the market' for secondary sources to produce cannon tubes

The Army is asking for industry responses to a request for information published last month that seeks to identify potential sources for manufacturing the M284 155mm cannon tube.

The June 10 notice asks vendors to describe their ability to manufacture rifled, 155mm artillery cannon tubes as well as information about their facility location, manufacturing square footage, infrastructure age and number of workers. The notice asks companies to respond by July 17.

The Army produces cannons for the M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzer, M1 Abrams tank M777 lightweight howitzer and the Air Force’s AC-130 gunship at Watervliet Arsenal, NY -- a service-owned and operated facility that dates back to the War of 1812.

With the RFI released last month, the government is “surveying the market for secondary sources,” and there is no intent to move production away from Watervliet, Army contract specialist Brianna Davis wrote in an email to Inside Defense this week.

“The government would evaluate sources who respond to assist in developing an acquisition strategy, determine market capability and identify commercial practices,” she wrote.

An award made to industry would “likely be binding by way of a government-to-private industry contract,” according to Davis.