BAE Systems wins infra red artillery round development contract
BAE Systems has won two contracts worth £7.2 million for 105mm artillery illuminating shells from the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD).
One is for 6000 105mm Luma illumination rounds to be delivered during 2011-2012. BAE Systems' Weapons business has supplied this round to the MoD since 2003.
The other is to develop an infra-red (IR) version of the Luma round where the target area is only illuminated to troops equipped with night vision goggles.
If tests being conducted later this year are successful, the latter contract will likely lead to the purchase of five-digit quantities of ammunition by the end of this year to meet current requirements in Afghanistan.
With a production order, Luma IR final assembly will be brought in-house to the Weapons facility in Karlskoga. The chemical part of the round will be subcontracted to Chemring Defence in the UK.
BAE Systems' UK Munitions business will supply the charge system (L35 Cart Normal) directly to UK MoD under the existing MASS munitions supply contract.
Munitions recently qualified an 81mm IR mortar bomb for use by UK forces under an Urgent Operational Requirement.
Source: BAE Systems
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