The Army Goes Shopping

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XM-230 grenade launcher
 

It was defense budget release day today and my Army budget scouring colleague Christian Lowe over at Defense Tech discovered the service is asking for $38 million to buy some 9,000 of H&K's side loading 40mm grenade launcher. 

Some additional highlights from the Army's 2011 shopping list:


  • $28 million to buy 1,655 M240 machine guns

  • $80 million to buy 5,900 Browning .50 cal machine guns

  • $18 million to buy 350 of the new lightweight .50 cal machine gun

  • $4 million to buy 238 Mk-19 grenade launchers

  • $7 million to buy 3,659 XM26 modular shotguns


The Army budget request also includes $25 million for buying new mortars to equip infantry brigades deploying to Afghanistan, including:


  • 194 M224 60mm light weight mortars

  • 32 M252 81mm mortars

  • 48 M120/121 120mm mortars


I'm trying to run down how much the Army is requesting to develop a GPS guided mortar round in response to an urgent request from Afghanistan last year for a 120mm GPS round. The Army's budget request includes $25 million to develop the Precision Guidance Kit (PGK), a GPS and fuze to outfit mortar and artillery rounds. But my understanding was this was an existing program, not in response to the urgent request. I'll have to do some more digging to see where things stand with the GPS round.

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