General Dynamics [GD] Armament and Technical Products said it was recently awarded two delivery orders and a contract modification in August 2010 cumulatively valued at $73.5 million for production and upgrade work on M2 heavy barrel (M2HB) machine guns.
The orders and contract modification work issued by Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command is for GD to produce 5,080 M2HB machine guns and to convert an additional 6,000 M2HB guns to the M2A1 configuration.
The production work will be completed at the General Dynamics facility in Saco, Maine, which employs approximately 420 people and has manufactured the M2 machine gun since 1979.
The M2HB production work will begin in December 2010 and be completed in February 2013.
Production of the M2A1 guns will begin in April 2011 and be finished in May 2012.
Program management will be performed at General Dynamics’ Williston Technology Center in Williston, Vt.
The M2HB is in use in Iraq and Afghanistan by the U.S. and its allies. The M2A1 is a modified version of the M2HB, featuring the quick change barrel and fixed headspace and timing.
“Called the ‘Ma Deuce’ by soldiers in the field, the M2 machine gun continues to be a highly accurate, effective weapon,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president and general manager of gun systems for General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products. “We have delivered more than 35,000 M2 guns for our customer and with this award we will continue to manufacture one of the world’s most reliable guns for U.S. warfighters.”