Alliant Techsystems Operations to produce M829A4 120mm APFSDS rounds.

Alliant Techsystems Operations LLC, Plymouth, Minnesota, was awarded a $100,294,127 firm-fixed-price contract for the production of the M829A4 120mm Armor Piercing, Fin Stabilized, Discarding Sabot (APFSDS) with Tracer cartridge.

120mm round with APFSDS head (Picture source: Wikipedia)

One bid was solicited via the internet with one bid received. Work will be performed in Plymouth, Minnesota; Keyse, West Virginia; Morgan Hill, California; Jonesborough, Tennessee; Elk River, Minnesota; Coachelle, California; and Aschau, Germany, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 26, 2022. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 procurement of ammunition, Army funds in the amount of $100,294,127 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-20-C-0002).

The M829 is an American armor-piercing, fin-stabilized, discarding sabot (APFSDS) tank round. Modeling was designed at the Ballistic Research Laboratory (BRL) at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), which was incorporated into the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in 1992. The round is specifically modeled for the 120mm M256 main gun on the Abrams M1A1 and M1A2 main battle tanks. The penetrator is carried by a sabot during its acceleration in the gun barrel.