The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has contracted General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Inc. to deliver unguided air-to-surface Hydra rockets.

The contract, announced on 13 September by the DoD, covers foreign military sales to Afghanistan, Nigeria, Australia, Lebanon and Philippines.

Work will be performed in Williston, Vermont, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2021.

General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems is the system integrator of the unguided air-to-surface Hydra family of rockets. These rockets include unitary and cargo warheads for use against point and area targets, providing the user a lethal and lightweight weapon system with multi-mission capability.

Warheads are available in either unitary or cargo configurations. Fitted to the MK66 MOD 4 motor, these warheads provide low-cost munitions capable of area suppression and defeating threats at extended ranges, as well as providing battlefield obscuration, illumination and marking.

Hydra provides the troops with affordable firepower matched to the mission for effective engagements and area suppression of a long list of lower-value targets on the battlefield.

Hydra-70 fires from the existing seven and 19-tube launchers and can be mounted on most rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, including: Apache, Cobra and F-16.

General Dynamics has produced more than four million Hydra-70 rockets since 1996 in support of the Army’s Joint Attack Munition Systems Project Office and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.