Developed with several U.S. Army partners, including the Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition, PM Maneuver Ammunition Systems, and the Combat Capabilities Development Command, the XM1211 is intended for use with Northrop Grumman’s XM914 and M230LF Bushmaster Chain Guns. The round was rapidly advanced to meet an urgent materiel release in 2021, and both the company and PM MAS are now increasing production capacity to meet rising domestic and international demand.
Manufacturing will take place across sites in Plymouth and Elk River in Minnesota, the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in West Virginia, and the Radford Ammunition Plant in Virginia. Northrop Grumman said its established facilities and expanding infrastructure allow it to scale output while maintaining the required standards for the Army.
Dave Fine, vice president of armament systems at Northrop Grumman, said: “As the only qualified producer of the XM1211 proximity round, Northrop Grumman is uniquely positioned to deliver this urgent need for advanced munitions with speed.” He added: “Our partnership with the U.S. Army drives innovation and ensures that we meet the critical needs of soldiers on the battlefield today.”
The company highlighted its four decades of work in advanced ammunition, including airburst, proximity, and guided types developed to counter unmanned threats and defeat advanced armour. It also pointed to its workforce of nearly 100,000 people and more than 30 million square feet of manufacturing space as factors enabling rapid innovation from design through to testing.
