Live fire tests conducted the week of 12 July demonstrated the new round of ammunition complies with the SMAW II Fire From Enclosure (FFE) Key Performance Parameter (KPP). This technology will allow the Marine gunner team to safely engage targets from inside buildings and other enclosed spaces that cannot be used when firing conventional shoulder launched systems.
SMAW II Program Manager Nicholas Duke at Nammo Talley indicated that “this demonstration was a significant entrance criterion for the Critical Design Review (CDR), and our success indicates the high level of system maturity that we have achieved.”
Tests were conducted at NSWC-Dahlgren, firing all-up SMAW II Round propulsion assemblies and non-explosive projectiles to measure firing noise, backblast, and other effects the gunner experiences during firing. Pre-Qualification Testing on the SMAW II Launcher and FFE Rounds will continue throughout the summer.
Nammo Talley, prime contractor for SMAW II, is partnered with the Raytheon Company for development, qualification, and fielding of the integrated weapon system design chosen during the USMC competitive assessment. The SMAW II program will provide Marines with an improved performance next generation reusable launcher and new Fire From Enclosure (FFE) assault rounds.
SMAW II features a proven Fire From Enclosure propulsion system, which allows target engagement from inside buildings, and combines the anti-structure capability of the current SMAW warheads with a new high-reliability electronic fuze. The new launcher increases system range and accuracy, improves reliability, and decreases weight by 40 percent compared to the current SMAW launcher.