AUSA 2020: John Cockerill signs agreement with US Army to develop medium caliber weapon system.

According to a press release published during the virtual edition of AUSA 2020, John Cockerill Defense America, the US subsidiary of John Cockerill Defense SA, announces they have signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ.

Stryker armored vehicle fitted with Cockerill™ 3030 weapon system. (Picture source John Cockerill)

The purpose of this CRADA is to develop, mature, integrate, and test the armament accuracy and lethality capabilities of an integrated medium caliber combat system, to include CCDC Armaments Center’s Scenario Based Fire Control System and JCDA’s Medium Caliber Turret solutions. This agreement will enable both parties to further mature their solutions with the goal of transitioning the products to any direct fire medium caliber platform. Continued research into medium caliber weapons technology and improved performance is paramount in protecting soldiers, vehicles, and non-combatants.

Ken Lockwood, Engineering Director for John Cockerill Defense America: “Working with the US Government in the CRADA environment allows for a unique partnership in technology development. This partnership, and the subsequent Industry investment, allows us to move these game-changing technologies to the warfighter faster than a traditional development program would mature.”

John Cockerill has developed the Cockerill™ 3030 weapon system is designed to become the Next Generation Medium Caliber Armament System for the US Army. It mounts a 30mm XM813 Medium Caliber electrically powered chain gun, and with minor engineering, design changes can successfully integrate the XM-913 50mm cannon. The weapons system includes two state-of-the-art sighting systems enabling hunter/killer capabilities as well as facilitating vehicle commander situational awareness. The Cockerill™ 3030 system has been tested with multiple sighting systems, allowing for a wide range of sighting options including the US Army 2nd Gen FLIR as well as off the shelf systems from US and foreign suppliers. In addition, the Cockerill™ 3030 has an under armor 7.62mm coaxial machine gun and the proven capability to fire all 30mm X 173mm ammunition in the US inventory including the MK310 Programmable Air Burst munition.

As an optionally manned capable turret weapon system, the Cockerill™ 3030 maintains the capability to support two- or three-Soldier crew configuration and provides turret roof hatches for crew situational awareness and to allow for ease of egress and performance of maintenance tasks. This turret can be rapidly fielded to meet near term requirements and has embedded modular growth capabilities inherent to its design to enable future technology and lethality improvements.