The US subsidiary of Norway-based ammunition and rocket system specialist Nammo has received a $96.9 million order from the US Marine Corps to deliver M72 Fire-From-Enclosure (M72 FFE) shoulder-fired weapon systems and training devices.
The initial $96.9-million-dollar delivery order is part of a five-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a maximum value of $498 million.
Nammo Defense Systems is expected to start deliveries of these systems in 2023, after the US Marine Corps Systems Command teamed up with the US Army in July 2020 to release a request for proposals for the M72 light assault weapon fire from enclosure munition.
The M72 FFE weapon is a joint-service qualified, close combat weapon that allows warfighters to maintain cover and operate from concealed positions. The anti-armor variant (M72 A8) is effective against tactical vehicles, concrete walls and light armored personnel carriers, while the anti-structure variant (M72 A10) features a dual-mode fuze that can defeat brick, adobe, earthen fortifications and tactical vehicles.
“A patented inert organic high-density liquid and patented propulsion system, developed by Nammo to satisfy US Marine Corps requirements, significantly mitigates sound levels, visual signature, and back blast effects,” said Nammo Defense Systems Vice President of Engineering, Dominic Jezierski. “We’ve successfully completed aggressive testing through the Joint Ordnance Test Procedure to validate the capabilities of the system.”
The M72 FFE system is designed to be effective in combat operations and to provide enhanced safety for the operator. By reducing the effect of the back blast, operator safety is enhanced and allows the M72 FFE to be employed in places previously unfeasible. Firing from inside a structure or behind cover, means the operator can remain concealed, and the lighter 13-pound weight means the operator is less physically burdened during the rigors of combat operations.
“When using single hearing protection inside an enclosure, the system’s safety specifications exceed the fire-from-enclosure safe operating requirements of both the US Marine Corps and US Army,” Nammo Defense Systems’ vice president of programs, Tim Clawitter, added.
