FAVS 2024: US develops 30 mm programmable proximity airburst ammunition

The US is developing 30 mm programmable proximity airburst munitions for C-UAS vehicles like M-SHORAD. (US Army/Captain Jordan Allen)

The United States is developing 30 mm programmable proximity airburst munitions that can counter unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), Janes learnt on the first day of SAE Media Group's Future Armoured Vehicles Survivability (FAVS) 2024 conference held in London from 11 to 13 November.

Major Andrew Durfee, assistant product manager medium calibre and project manager maneuver ammunition systems at the US Army's Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition, told the conference that medium-calibre counter-UAS (C-UAS) munitions use a miniaturised radar in a proximity sensor, whereas historically dating back to the Second World War the technology has been used in large-calibre munitions, mortars, and missiles. He said the medium-calibre munition's proximity module initiates the fire chain when a target is within the optimal lethal radius of its warhead.

With contact bands on its tip to receive programming, the 30×113 mm XM1223 Multi-Mode Proximity Airburst (MMPA) munition is designed to combat exposed personnel, defilade personnel, and light armoured vehicles, in addition to UASs. Maj Durfee said the munition can be pre-programmed for one or more of these capabilities and gated (muted) so as not to explode over certain areas, for example to avoid collateral damage, operating independently after it is fired. The munition can be fired by the XM914 chain gun on the US Army's Maneuver-Short Range Air Defence (M-SHORAD) Increment 0 system and Mobile-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (M-LIDS). The programme was launched as an enduring solution in fiscal year (FY) 2024.