FYI, the all-round big gun experts at ATK have neen chosen by the Army to make the next generation of 120mm ammo for the venerable M1A2 Abrams tank. The latest version of the tank's main gun ammunition is designed to penetrate the explosive "reactive armor"found on modern main battle tanks as well as being effective "in Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT), mountain, and nontraditional battlefields," according to an ATK press release. The real feature here is that it can defeat reactive armor with one shot.
The round will allow for the use of fewer rounds and allow for faster enemy engagements - factors that will ultimately increase crew and platform survivability.
The company has been chosen to built the rounds under a $77 million three-year contract to "develop and qualify" the round, known as the M829E4 120mm Advanced Kinetic Energy (AKE) ammunition. Once this three-year period is up, the company is expected to win another contract for full production of the AKE ammunition.
