The Marine Corps has inked a $10 million contract with ammunition-maker MAC LLC for new lightweight polymer machine gun ammunition, a major step forward in an effort to lighten Marines” battlefield load.
The contract was awarded to the Mississippi-based company Thursday, Marine Corps Systems Command officials said in a news release. According to the announcement, the Command will get a “small quantity” of the ammunition this fall and in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021.
“Marines will assess the ammo to increase familiarity and validate the polymer rounds during an operational validation scheduled for the third quarter of fiscal year 2021,” MCSC officials said in the release. “The program office estimates fielding will begin in fiscal year 2022.”