ATK, General Dynamics team to offer PERM for USMC

ATK and General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems have signed a teaming agreement to offer a full-up solution for the United States Marine Corps' requirements for the rifled, 120mm Precision Extended Range Mortar (PERM).

PERM is integral to the USMC's Ship-to-Objective-Maneuver (STOM) contingency operations, which support Marine infantry units with precision, long-range (16 - 20km) mortars fired from the Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFSS) towed-mortar platform.

Under the terms of the teaming agreement, ATK will be the prime contractor to the USMC for the PERM Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) program, providing guidance fuze technology combined with General Dynamics' propulsion and warhead subsystems.

"By combining our proven mortar guidance capability with General Dynamics' propulsion technology and EFSS experience, we stand to offer the Marine Corps a low-risk, capabilities-based solution that will fulfill their requirements in the shortest time possible," said Bruce DeWitt, Vice President and General Manager for ATK's Advanced Weapons division.

The Expeditionary Fire Support System is a light, mobile, and vertically transportable indirect fire support system designed for missions requiring tactical versatility, speed, and close-in fire support. The system is composed of a pair of Prime Mover vehicles, a 120mm M327 mortar weapon, the four-round family of munitions and an ammunition trailer. The EFSS is designed to be internally transportable in the MV-22B Osprey and the CH-53 helicopter and has been in fielded with the Marine Corps since 2009.

Source: ATK