Breaking news
General Dynamics and Smith & Wesson to team on U.S. Army's M9 handgun replacement.
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Defence & Security Industry News - GDOTS & Smith & Wesson |
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Tuesday, November 25, 2014 09:15 AM |
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| General Dynamics and Smith & Wesson to team on U.S. Army's M9 handgun replacement | |||
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems and Smith &Wesson Holding
Corp. have officially announced their partnership to pursue the U.S. Army's
Modular Handgun System (MHS) solicitation to replace the M9 standard Army
sidearm. |
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Smith &
Wesson M&P 9mm handgun, which is already in use in several US law
enforcement departments |
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The
strategic partnership's Modular Handgun System will be based on the Smith
& Wesson M&P Polymer Pistol platform. Designed with a reinforced
polymer chassis, superior ergonomics, ambidextrous controls, and proven
safety features, the M&P is used by U.S. and law enforcement agencies
worldwide. The M&P's features make it well suited for the MHS requirement
by providing sidearms that exceed the military's expectations for a future
modular handgun in terms of performance, reliability and durability. The
M&P pistol has been in production since 2005.
"This partnership combines General Dynamics' proven legacy in manufacturing military armaments with Smith &Wesson's extensive experience in designing and manufacturing firearms for commercial applications," said Tim McAuliffe, vice president and general manager of medium caliber ammunition and weapons for General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. "General Dynamics' extensive background in winning and managing military contracts brings proven leadership to the venture and by joining together, we will use our combined knowledge and expertise to bring this unique capability to the U.S. military to better equip the warfighter." Smith &Wesson President and CEO, James Debney, said, "The strategic partnership between our two companies provides us with a tremendous opportunity to support our military with a state-of-the-art sidearm, namely our M&P pistol. General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems brings us a wealth of experience and resource in federal government contracting and that capability is an ideal match with our knowledge in handgun manufacturing technology. We look forward to working together to pursue this exciting opportunity to support our military." The Army's draft MHS solicitation identifies design and performance requirements for a new modular handgun system that can be easily adjusted to fit all hand sizes and is optimized for improved gun, ammunition and magazine performance. The Army's stated plan is to commence the competition in January 2015, with delivery of the first new handgun systems in 2017. |
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