General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Fields Expeditionary Fire Support System

General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Fields Expeditionary Fire Support System:

"ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), announced today that they have successfully fielded the Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFSS) with the United States Marine Corps (USMC) Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Artillery Regiment located at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

"As the third leg of the USMC's triad of land-based fire support for expeditionary operations, EFSS is the primary close-in fire support system for vertical assault maneuvers and is perfectly suited for missions requiring tactical versatility, speed, mobility and close-in fire support. The system can be emplaced, fired and displaced in under five minutes using a standard five-man crew and is designed to be internally transportable in both the Marine's tiltrotor MV-22B Osprey and the CH-53 helicopter.

"Each battalion in the 10th Marine Regiment will have six EFSS systems comprising of a pair of Prime Mover vehicles, a 120mm M327 mortar weapon, ammunition family and trailer. At the center of EFSS is the 120mm M327 mortar that combines the simplicity and firepower of a mortar with the precision and range of a field artillery piece. The system can effectively fire both rifled and smoothbore ammunition. At 1,798 lbs., the 120mm M327 is the Marines' largest internally transportable indirect fire support system and provides the maneuver commander with greater fire support capability against an array of targets."