U.S. Army Awards General Dynamics $35m to produce M2A1 quick change barrel conversion kits
The US Army Joint Munitions and Lethality Life Cycle Management Command, Picatinny, N.J., awarded General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products an order valued at approximately $35 million to manufacture M2A1 quick change barrel (QCB) conversion kits. The QCB conversion kits feature several direct-replacement parts to modify existing M2 heavy barrel (M2HB) machine guns to the M2A1 configuration. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in January 2011 and will continue through December 2012. General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products is a business unit of General Dynamics.
"With the QCB conversion kits, the US warfighter can change the machine gun barrel in a few seconds. The M2A1 features fixed headspace and timing, which eliminates the need to manually calibrate the weapon after each barrel change and reduces exposure time to enemy fire," said Mike O'Brien, vice president and general manager of gun systems for General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products. "The M2A1 is an efficient and reliable tool for American warfighters in combat."
Production work will be completed by the existing workforce at the General Dynamics facility in Saco, Maine, which employs approximately 420 people and has manufactured the M2 machine gun since 1979. Program management will be performed at General Dynamics' Burlington Technology Center in Vermont.
Source: General Dynamics
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