Pine Bluff Arsenal supports Joint Extended Range Illuminating Projectile project

By Rachel Newton, AMCMay 15, 2013

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(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

During the past year, several Pine Bluff Arsenal Directorate of Ammunition Operations engineers began work building 155mm XM1123 Infrared and XM1124 Visible Light Illuminating Projectiles. This was in support of the Qualification Phase of XM1123/XM1124 Joint Extended Range Illuminating Projectile or JERIP Project. On March 25, both projectiles were Type Classified, and PBA was designated as the initial manufacturer for the Project Manager for Combat Ammunition Systems, located at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J.

The Load, Assemble and Pack of XM1123 and XM1124 Projectiles used for Qualification Testing have been on-going at PBA, since late 2011. These projectiles are similar to the 155mm M1066 IR and M485A2 VL Illuminating Projectiles previously built by PBA, but have a reduced cost and an extended range of five kilometers.

"The XM1123/XM1124 JERIP Project is an Office of the Secretary of Defense funded, Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) Program. Brigadier General John J. McGuiness, the Milestone Decision Authority and Program Executive Officer Ammunition, approved the Type Classification-Standard (TC-STD)," said Sal Ghazi, Smoke and Illuminating Projectiles/Mortars Branch Chief, PM CAS.

According to Ghazi, what this means for the Arsenal is the manufacture of these items has been approved for what is called low-rate production.

"First Article tests will be conducted for each projectile with a quantity of approximately 48 each," he said. "Approximately 6,200 of the M1123s and 8,600 of the M1124s will be made. The differences in quantities are based on funding."

Based on the results of the FA tests and the low-rate production, a Full Materiel Release of the projectiles will be accomplished by December 2014. "Successful completion of FMR authorizes us to go into full-rate production at that time," he said.

"Type Classifications usually take about three to five years; however, we completed this one in 15 months. OSD has since told us that we have become a prominent example for the JCTD Program because we accomplished more than what was expected. JCTDs are usually for demos, but we went beyond that and ended up getting both projectiles Type Classified."

Roch Byrne, AO director, said if things go well during the production cycle, this program could have long-range potential.

"The plan is after we achieve FMR, we would like to produce this at PBA from fiscal year 2014 through 2018," said Ghazi. "We could have never Type Classified a round in 15 months, if we had to go out for contract. It would have taken longer. We couldn't have done this without the excellent support from PBA and Crane Army Ammunition Activity. It was a team effort."