The U.S. Army has inked a contract with firearms company FN America, LLC to continue development of its Precision Grenadier System prototype, according to an announcement ahead of the U.S. Army Association’s annual conference.
The agreement, officially a Prototype Project Opportunity Notice contract worth $2 million, advances development of a next-gen weapon system and ammunition the manufacturer claims will be a significant upgrade over past legacy grenade launcher iterations.
The latest deal is expected to enable enhancements of the weapon’s reliability and ensure the platform can be seamlessly integrated with preexisting Army systems, according to the announcement.
“Once developed and implemented, this weapon system could radically change future battlefield strategies,” Mark Cherpes, president and CEO for FN America said in a release announcing the contract. “It will offer new capabilities at the squad level and upgraded tactical options, giving the warfighter a more effective system.”
The soldier-portable FN Multipurpose Tactical Launcher, or MTL-30, is a shoulder-fired, semi-automatic weapon that shoots a 30mm grenade on a flat trajectory at an effective range of 500 meters.
While current 40mm grenade launchers employed by ground combat units are fired using a higher trajectory, The MTL-30’s ability to hit targets using a flat flight path should expand its applicability in combat.
Weapon flexibility, from close-proximity fighting to taking out drones, was a focus of an Army solicitation of the prototype released earlier this year.
“The PGS is anticipated to be deployed as a soldier’s primary weapon system, providing organic, close-quarters combat, counter-defilade and counter-UAS capabilities through a family of ammunition to ranges in concert with the rest of the squad’s battlespace, and requiring minimal resupplies to support,” the Army’s solicitation read.
Countering troops in defilade would ultimately require a round capable of piercing natural or artificial cover barriers that conceal enemy personnel.
FN America’s Precision Grenadier System, meanwhile, is built with a modular, Picatinny-style rail system for mounting optics or other attachments, and includes Magpul-designed M-LOK system points on the handguard for hard-mounting additional accessories.
An ambidextrous design allows right- and left-handed personnel to quickly operate the bolt catch, magazine release and safety.
The MTL-30 can also be equipped with various muzzle suppressor options, according to FN, and can be loaded by detachable 3- or 5-round box magazines.
The weapon’s lower receiver, which is modeled after the widely-used M4, comes with a 6-position telescoping buttstock and modular cheek risers for added stability when firing.
Development of the MTL-30, which measures 34 inches long and weighs just over 10 pounds, was influenced by a combination of real-time soldier feedback and battlefield priorities that continue to evolve in places like Ukraine, the company said.
FN America, the U.S.-based arm of the Belgian arms manufacturer Fabrique Nationale, runs its manufacturing operations out of Columbia, South Carolina.
J.D. Simkins is the executive editor of Military Times and Defense News, and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.