The U.S. Army recently awarded Virginia-based defense company Northrop Grumman a five-year contract to produce the M1147 Advanced Multi-Purpose (AMP) round of large caliber tank ammunition.
The M1147 AMP is a 120mm round designated for use on the U.S. Army’s M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank. The multiple-year contract supports both the U.S. Army and its international partners’ requirements and reinforces Northrop Grumman’s commitment to readiness and innovation in munitions.
“With its enhanced functionality, the M1147 AMP meets the Army’s needs for efficiency and readiness, while enhancing the lethality of the Abrams Main Battle Tank,” Dave Fine, Northrop Grumman vice president of armament systems, said. “This capability enables unmatched mission flexibility by empowering forces to adapt instantly to any threat.”
AMP combines the capabilities of four rounds into a single munition and uses a multi-mode programmable fuse. It can operate in point-detonate, point-detonate delay and airburst modes, enabling it to engage a variety of targets.
Northrop Grumman plans to launch its Pegasus rocket this month on a mission to prevent NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory from re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. NASA determined Pegasus was the only system able to meet all orbit, timeline, and budget requirements. The rocket delivers payloads to low Earth orbit.