DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Orbital ATK (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, announced today that the U.S. Joint Munitions Command has approved full materiel release (FMR) of the M1061 60mm Mortar cartridge. During the initial phases of development, Orbital ATK produced more than 12,000 M1061 cartridges for the U.S. Army and its customers, 1,000 of which were sent to theater ahead of FMR.
“Our goal at Orbital ATK has always been to increase the safety of our warfighters while maximizing their options in the field, and the M1061 is a perfect example of this strategic capability,” said Pat Nolan, Vice President and General Manager of Orbital ATK’s Missile Products Division of the Defense Systems Group. “We will continue to innovate with our LEO technology, both for today’s upgraded threats and for solutions to meet future compliance standards.”
Full materiel release signifies that the U.S. Army has rigorously tested and evaluated the warhead and determined it is safe, operationally suitable and logistically supportable for use. The M1061’s performance-enhancing fragmentation technology has been successfully tested on warheads ranging in size from 0.5 to 250 pounds. M1061 warheads with LEO technology achieved increased wide-area effects as compared with conventional warheads.
The M1061 is a 60mm high-explosive cartridge developed as a result of collaboration between Orbital ATK and teammate Saab Bofors Dynamics Switzerland Ltd., and the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center at the Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey. The goal of the program was to increase the effectiveness of the 60mm mortar while improving its insensitive munitions characteristics. The increase in lethality was accomplished by utilizing a matrix comprised of pre-formed fragments and PBXN-110 explosive. As a result, the M1061 achieves near 81mm lethality, providing users significantly enhanced capability while enabling them to expand on the traditional 60mm mortar target sets.
Orbital ATK’s Defense Systems Group is an industry leader in providing innovative and affordable precision and strike weapons, advanced propulsion and hypersonics, missile components across air-, sea- and land-based systems, ammunition and related energetic products.
About Orbital ATK
Orbital ATK is a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies. The company designs, builds and delivers space, defense and aviation systems for customers around the world, both as a prime contractor and merchant supplier. Its main products include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defense electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition; satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced aerospace structures. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK employs approximately 12,000 people in 18 states across the U.S. and in several international locations. For more information, visit www.orbitalatk.com.
