The U.S. Army awarded Northrop Grumman an immediate contract valued at over $200 million, securing mass production of the advanced XM1211 High-Explosive Round. This critical contract enables the defense prime to ramp up manufacturing for its next-generation medium-caliber ammunition, specifically designed to counter the rapidly growing threat posed by small Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).
As the sole qualified manufacturer of the round, Northrop Grumman utilizes its deep expertise in advanced fuzing and ammunition systems to deliver this urgent capability to soldiers on the battlefield.
Advanced Counter-UAS Technology
The 30x113mm XM1211 High Explosive Proximity (HEP) round stands as a cutting-edge kinetic solution for short-range air defense. The munition incorporates a sophisticated proximity sensor which identifies and detonates near a target, releasing a destructive fragmentation pattern without requiring a direct hit.
This airburst capability makes the round exceptionally effective against Group 1 and Group 2 drones, threats that conventional ammunition struggles to defeat. The round’s design ensures seamless compatibility with the company’s widely adopted XM914 and M230LF Bushmaster Chain Guns, which equip key platforms like the Army’s Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) Stryker vehicles.
Scaling the Industrial Base
Northrop Grumman developed the XM1211 High-Explosive Round in close collaboration with Army partners, including the Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition (JPEO A&A) and the Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM). Following an urgent materiel release requirement in 2021, the focus immediately shifted to rapid production expansion.
The company is leveraging its established domestic facilities across Plymouth and Elk River in Minnesota, the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in West Virginia, and the Radford Ammunition Plant in Virginia to meet soaring domestic and international demand for this vital munition. This industrial investment underscores the priority both the government and the contractor place on quickly fielding this defensive technology.
