ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md – The U.S. Army’s Project Manager Maneuver Ammunition Systems (PM MAS), located on Picatinny Arsenal, recently traveled to the Aberdeen Proving Ground on September 5, 2024, to successfully test the XM1204 High Explosive Airburst with Tracer (HEAB-T) prototype.
Maj. Gen. John T. Reim, Joint Program Executive Officer for Armaments and Ammunition (JPEO A&A), observed the test at the Aberdeen, accompanied by key personnel from PM MAS, including Deputy Project Manager Bob Kowalski, Assistant Product Manager for Large Caliber Ammunition Maj. A.J. Scocco, and the team lead for the 50mm program KC Koseoglu.
The 50mm XM1204 HEAB-T is one of three cartridges within the 50mm x 228 family of ammunition, tailored to provide an anti-personnel tactical solution. The munition is designed to defeat personnel both in open spaces and behind the cover of urban structures. The munition has the ability to function in point detonate, point detonate delay, and airburst.
The XM1204 HEAB-T, coupled with the XM913 main gun, is set to provide decisive overmatch for the Army’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle imitative, the XM30 Combat Vehicle. This adaptability makes it a vital component of the lethality suite for the XM30 Combat Vehicle.
According to Scocco, the purpose of the testing was to evaluate the performance of the munition’s electro-mechanical programmable multi mode fuze. “The XM1204 HEAB-T is a significant lethality upgrade for our warfighter, and we’re on track to meet cost, schedule, and performance requirements for the XM30 Combat Vehicle,” he said.
Five Bradley Master Gunner-qualified Soldiers participated in a second round of testing focused on burst-point accuracy of the XM1204 HEAB-T at Aberdeen Proving Ground on September 11, 2024. These Soldiers, representing First Army, the Maneuver Center of Excellence, the Next Generation Combat Vehicle Cross- Functional Team, and the U.S. Army Maneuver Capabilities Development and Integration Directorate, evaluated the ammunition’s performance and provided critical user feedback.
The exercise aimed to inform both the requirements for the XM1204 HEAB-T and the wider user community about the capabilities of the 50mm ammunition, including its pairing with the XM913 50mm main gun. The XM913 is the primary armaments for the XM30 Combat Vehicle and is a critical part of the Army’s modernization strategy.
“The recent XM1204 HEAB-T test is a clear demonstration of PM MAS delivering on Army modernization priorities and delivering a new level of lethality to the battlefield,” said Reim. “The lethality and flexibility of this round, paired with the XM30 platform, will give our Warfighters the tools they need to maintain overmatch on the battlefield, and I look forward to seeing this round fielded.”
By ABRAAM DAWOUD
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