Northrop Grumman manufactures the electronic fuze at the Naval Industrial Reserve Ordnance Plant at Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in Rocket Center, West Virginia. Investments in automation and advanced manufacturing have raised the site’s capacity to as many as 85,000 fuzes annually.
The FMU-139D/B controls when and how a munition functions, providing safety and timing capabilities for air-delivered weapons. It is used with multiple munitions and aircraft operated by U.S. and allied forces.
The company delivered its 200,000th FMU-139D/B earlier this year. It said manufacturing improvements had increased efficiency, supported shorter delivery timelines and strengthened its ability to respond to surges in demand.
The US$97 million increase raises the maximum potential value of the existing contract. The announcement did not disclose the revised ceiling, additional production quantities or delivery dates.
