CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, a business unit of General Dynamics, has been awarded two contracts valued at $66 million by U.S. Army TACOM-ARDEC for the production of MK19 grenade machine guns. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2009 and extend through late 2012.

According to General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products gun systems senior program manager, Dean Gagnon, "The MK19 is capable of firing up to 400 grenades per minute and can provide increased accuracy against a variety of targets, including lightly armored vehicles and dismounted infantry. The weapon's versatility makes it a prime choice of the U.S. Armed Forces as an essential weapon in both offensive and defensive operations."

Program management will be shared between the company's Burlington, Vt., and Saco, Maine, facilities. Production work will be performed at the company's Saco site, which has produced more than 36,000 MK19 systems for the U.S. government and its allies since 1984.

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products' Saco facility is the company's core production facility for single- and multi-barrel aircraft and crew-served weapon systems. The site provides complete production capabilities, from design and development to manufacturing, testing and integration. Products manufactured at the facility include the MK47 40mm Grenade Weapon System and the M2HB 12.7 mm (caliber .50) machine gun.

The Burlington Technology Center, located in Burlington, Vt., is General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products' Engineering Center of Excellence. By consolidating the company's engineering development and leadership functions, and investing more than $55 million in major systems upgrades, infrastructure, and training, the Burlington Technology Center is a key component of the company's success. The Technology Center encompasses five sites: the Lakeside office building; the newly expanded, 13,500-square-foot Engineering Development Lab; the Systems Modernization Initiative office; the Burlington manufacturing site; and an expansive test facility.

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, located in Charlotte, N.C., provides a broad range of system solutions for military and commercial applications. The company designs, develops and produces high-performance armament systems, defensive armor solutions, aerospace components, and mobile shelter systems, and is a leading U.S. producer of biological and chemical detection systems.

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 84,600 people worldwide and anticipates 2008 revenue of approximately $29.5 billion. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies.

General Dynamics
09.10.2008