Vista Outdoor Sales LLC was awarded a $114,813,500 firm-fixed-price contract for the 5.56 mm Semi-Jacketed Frangible Cartridge, MK311 MOD 3 (AA40) ammunition. According to the U.S. Army Contracting Command website, bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 17, 2027. The cartridges will be manufactured by Federal Ammunition, which is a brand of Vista Outdoor. In 2019 Federal Ammunition already announced an award from the U.S. Army worth $12.9 million for MK311 Mod 3 Frangible Ammo.
The AA40 5.56 mm NATO frangible ammunition (Semi-Jacketed Frangible Cartridge, MK311 MOD 3) is a reduced ricochet, limited penetration round used by the U.S. military for training. Intended for use against personnel without collateral damage, it features a 50-grain frangible bullet contains a non-toxic, copper and tungsten powder and nylon binder designed to eliminates airborne lead and concerns for disposal.
An historic contract for Federal
Cartridge, MK311 MOD 3) is a reduced ricochet, limited penetration round
used by the U.S. military for training.
Jason Vanderbrink, president of Federal Ammunition commented: “This contract is historic. It is the largest government contract awarded to Federal in its 100-years of operation and speaks volumes to the trust the United States military has in our American workforce assembling the best products for our servicemen and servicewomen.”
“Successfully executing on the AA40 contract requires large scale production capabilities combined with stringent quality control measures,” said Erik Carlson, senior director of operations at Federal’s headquarters located in Anoka, Minnesota. “Awards of this magnitude are validation of Federal’s committed workforce to meet these demands and provide the best ammunition possible for our armed forces time and time again.”
“Federal’s frangible training ammunition has been recognized as the best in the business by the United States military and this latest U.S. Army-awarded contract continues that recognition,” said David Leis, Federal’s vice president of government sales. “The ammunition is designed to disintegrate into small fragments on impact, minimizing over-penetrating and ricochet hazards, making it ideal for training purposes.”
