FROM SPORKS AND REVERSIBLE JACKETS TO SOFA BEDS AND TRANSITION LENSES.
ASK ANY DAD WHO’S EVER TRIED TO SAVE A BUCK IF MULTI-FUNCTIONAL IS THE WAY TO GO AND THEY’LL ALMOST CERTAINLY ANSWER IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
WELL APPARENTLY THE ARMY FEELS THE SAME
IN MID-JANUARY THE JOINT PROGRAM EXECUTIVE OFFICER FOR ARMAMENTS AND AMMUNITION APPROVED FULL-RATE PRODUCTION OF THE M-ELEVEN-FORTY-SEVEN 120-MILLIMETER ADVANCED MULTI-PURPOSE ROUND.
THE M-ELEVEN-FORTY-SEVEN A-M-P GIVES ABRAMS TANK CREWS ADVANCED FIREPOWER THAT SHOULD MAKE THEM THE DOMINANT FORCE ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
WHAT PUTS THE MULTI-PURPOSE IN A-M-P? WELL, THIS PARTICULAR MUNITION TAKES THE PLACE OF FOUR DIFFERENT 120 MILLIMETER ROUNDS—THE M-8-THIRTY HIGH EXPLOSIVE ANTI-TANK, M-8-THIRTY-A-1 MULTI-PURPOSE ANTI-TANK, M-TEN-TWENTY-EIGHT CANISTER, AND M-9-ZERO-8 OBSTACLE REDUCTION—AND COMBINES THEM INTO ONE SINGLE SOLUTION.
IT’S A BIG WIN FOR LOGISTICS, MAKING IT EASIER TO MANAGE THE ABRAMS’ AMMO AND TACKLE ISSUES WITH OLDER STOCKPILES, WHICH HELPS KEEP OPERATIONS RUNNING SMOOTHLY IN THE LONG RUN.
WHAT’S EVEN BETTER IS THE A-M-P ROUND GIVES TANK CREWS SOME FRESH CAPABILITIES TO TAKE ON THREATS LIKE ANTI-TANK GUIDED MISSILE TEAMS. IT ALSO HELPS THEM BREAK THROUGH DOUBLE REINFORCED CONCRETE WALLS, MAKING IT EASIER TO NAVIGATE IN URBAN SETTINGS AND FORTIFIED AREAS.
OVERALL THE DECISION TO GO INTO FULL RATE PRODUCTION IS A BIG ONE FOR THE ARMY’S AMMUNITION MODERNIZATION EFFORTS.