The company developed the dual-feed configuration in response to the expanding use of unmanned aircraft on modern battlefields. Northrop Grumman said drones are increasingly being used for intelligence collection, penetrating traditional defenses and conducting precision attacks.
The M230LF Dual Feed builds on the company’s existing Bushmaster family of Chain Guns. Its main operational feature is the ability to switch between two ammunition types without reloading or changing weapons.
“We built this technology because the need is real — and it’s ready now to help protect those on the front lines,” said Rylan Harris, director of business development for Northrop Grumman armament systems. “In the end, defeating drones comes down to reliable capability and the Bushmaster Dual Feed with our proximity ammunition will win the fight.”
Operators currently require different ammunition to engage ground threats and unmanned aircraft. The Dual Feed system allows them to select the appropriate round at the push of a button.
That configuration is intended to reduce response time when threats change during combat. It also allows the same cannon to engage drones overhead and hostile vehicles on the ground.
“Seeing the emerging needs of the warfighter as C-UAS threats evolve, our team moved with urgency,” Harris said. “We saw where the battlefield was going and built a solution to meet it.”
The cannon uses two types of advanced Northrop Grumman ammunition for different target sets. These include the XM1198 high-explosive round and XM1211 proximity-fuzed ammunition.
The XM1198 is designed to defeat armored targets. The XM1211 is intended specifically for counter-unmanned aircraft system engagements.
Developed and produced with the U.S. Army, the XM1211 is a 30×113 mm round equipped with a proximity sensor. The round detonates when it detects a target at close range and disperses fragmentation against it.
That approach is intended to improve effectiveness against drones that are small, fast and difficult to strike directly. Northrop Grumman said the ammunition has demonstrated effectiveness against unmanned aircraft in real-world applications.
“Our advanced ammunition is demonstrating real-world effectiveness against drones and we’re continuing to ramp production on these critically needed rounds to meet escalating global C-UAS threats,” Harris said. Northrop Grumman is also investing in production capacity for both cannons and ammunition.
Those investments cover equipment, facilities and manufacturing tools. The company said the expansion is intended to increase output and reduce lead times as global demand for counter-UAS systems rises.
The combination of the Dual Feed Bushmaster and proximity-fuzed ammunition gives operators one weapon architecture for different battlefield threats. Northrop Grumman is positioning the system as a scalable response to growing demand for gun-based counter-drone capabilities.
