The BADGER Blueprint: Increased Lethality and Accelerated Acquisitions

PICATINNY ARSENAL – The Army has successfully demonstrated the lethal capabilities of the 25mm XM1228 Bradley Aerial Defeat Ground Enhanced Round (BADGER) during a technology demonstration at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona on September 17. The XM1228 is a proximity fuzed ammunition that provides kinetic Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) capability for weapons systems including the M242 Bushmaster chain gun.

The demonstration showcased the increased lethality and survivability of the M2A4E1 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle (BFV) when equipped with the XM1128 BADGER. The BFV has experienced a significant revival with the evolving landscape driven by conflicts throughout the world. Thanks to ongoing modernization efforts, including the integration of active protection systems, upgrades in sensors and fire control systems, the BFV remains a critical component of the Army’s Armored Brigade Combat Teams.

During the demonstration, a BFV was targeted by assorted UAS threats. The Bradley crew was able to utilize the BADGER round and various other countermeasures to ensure the vehicle was able to survive the assault and maintain its mission.

The UAS threat has become one of the most prevalent battlefield risks to U.S. Warfighters and vehicles like the Bradley. Commercially available and inexpensive UAS can be modified easily for reconnaissance or direct attacks with lethal payloads. Mitigation efforts against UAS threats have accelerated recently with electronic warfare and enhanced armor protection.

“These solutions are effective, but crew survivability ultimately requires a layered approach, and kinetic effectors have recently undergone an evolution through the incorporation of miniaturized proximity fuzing within medium caliber ammunition,” explained Kaitlyn Tani, Deputy Program Director Medium Caliber, Project Manager Maneuver Ammunition Systems (PM MAS). “This technology eliminates the need for a direct target impact with legacy ammunition, providing protection for ground troops in the face of evolving threats.”

The XM1228 BADGER complements the current 25mm family of cartridges, including the M792 High Explosive Incendiary with Tracer (HEI-T) and the M919 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot with Trace (APFSDS-T). The XM1228 BADGER is ballistically similar to the M792 HEI-T and does not require any integration within the weapon system or vehicle. The round enables a ‘plug and play’ C-UAS solution which greatly increases the crew's lethality.

A Team Approach to Speed Acquisition Success

Various stakeholders attended the demonstration included representatives from Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition (JPEO A&A), Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center’s Munitions Engineering & Technology Center, Project Manager Mounted Armored Vehicles, Project Manager Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Maneuver Center of Excellence User, and the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The attendance and interest from across the Services shows the interoperability of the 25mm BADGER and its potential widespread use as a ‘game changing’ technology.

“The demonstration was not only representative of technical success, but also programmatic success with the BADGER program going from initial concept to rounds fired in less than a year, setting a new standard for rapid acquisition programs,” said Maj. Gen. John T. Reim, Joint Program Executive Officer Armaments and Ammunition and Picatinny Arsenal Commanding General.

“This was a total team effort, and Team Picatinny delivered. All the ammunition was designed, developed, built, and tested within the labs of Picatinny Arsenal where multiple organizations worked hand-in-hand to ensure this capability gets to our Warfighters as quickly as possible.”

Along with DEVCOM, JPEO A&A’s Project Manager Maneuver Ammunition Systems office worked to accelerate the program by leveraging legacy 25mm hardware, utilizing non-traditional procurement methods, managing stakeholder relations, and ultimately being empowered to take risks. This approach to developing the rounds allowed for iterative testing and design changes that enabled the team to quickly establish a highly reliable round.

The BADGER program now moves to the final phases of testing and certification.

Northrup Grumman was awarded a DOTC Other Transaction Agreement on September 4 to support Safety Confirmation prototype build. Safety Confirmation testing will ensure all fuze and safety requirements are being met prior to fielding. Following Safety Confirmation, the round will be fielded to critical units across the globe under an Urgent Materiel Release.

In parallel, PM MAS will be working, in coordination with the other Services, with a qualification for Full Materiel Release to allow for use across all platforms with a 25mm weapon system.