U.S. aerospace and defense company General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) has been awarded a $15 million contract to develop the U.S. Army’s next generation 155mmm artillery ammunition prototype. GD-OTS is a business unit of General Dynamics.

General Dynamics is developing a next generation 155 mm artillery round that will extend cannon range to more than 24 miles (40km), with the added benefits of greater safety for service members and the ability to deliver near-precision strike capability.

According to a news release put out by General Dynamics on Thursday, the Combat Capabilities Development Command – Armaments Center (CCDC-AC) and the Joint Program Executive Office Armaments and Ammunition at Picatinny Arsenal have awarded the company a contract valued at $15 million for Prototype and Process Development for the 155mm XM1113 Rocket-Assisted Projectile (RAP) round. The XM1113 Insensitive Munition High Explosive Rocket Assisted Projectile, or XM1113 RAP, will replace the aging M549A1 rounds produced in the 1970s and 1980s and help U.S. Soldiers and Marines maintain battlefield overmatch.

The XM1113 RAP uses rocket technology to deliver greater thrust to the round, when compared to its predecessor, the legacy M549A1. This will enable current U.S. Field Artillery 155mm Systems to fire the XM1113 RAP to a range of 40 kilometers, a 30% increase from the M549A1. When fired from the planned future Extended Range Artillery Cannon (ERCA), the XM1113 will achieve ranges out to 70 kilometers.

The XM1113 RAP round aligns with the U.S. Army’s modernization initiative under the Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) Cross Functional Team.

“The XM1113 RAP brings enhanced performance to the battlefield, increasing lethality and extending range for the cannon artillery warfighter. We are proud to support the U.S. Army’s modernization initiatives to provide overmatch capability to the warfighter; and look forward to meeting the operational needs of our international allies” said Jason Gaines, Vice President and General Manager of Munition Systems at General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems.

Also noted that GD-OTS is partnered with American Ordnance, Nammo-Talley, and SAVIT in the United States; and is working with Thales Australia to expand the international Supply Chain, enabling the U.S. Government to make the system available to overseas customers.