66mm Visual and Infrared Screening Smoke Grenades for U.S. Marines

American Rheinmetall Munitions (ARM) receives order for 66mm MK 1 MOD 0
STAFFORD, Va., June 17 /PRNewswire/ -- American Rheinmetall Munitions (ARM) announced today that it has received an $8.2 million order from the Program Manager for Ammunition, Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, VA for Grenade, 66mm Smoke Screening IR, Vehicle Launched, (SSVL) MK 1 MOD 0. The order signifies continued satisfaction with the company's designs, which address mission needs and support federal directives to reduce environmental impacts whenever possible. The Marines had been looking for a product to support the war and training requirements, and chose the tried-and-tested Grenade, 66mm SSVL, MK 1 MOD 0 over the M76 design.
Both 66mm grenades, M76 and the MK 1 MOD 0, provide screening smoke in the visible and thermal infra-red wavebands. However, ARM's design, which features red phosphorus (RP) pellets and wafers, delivers a thick smoke, longer-lasting coverage in windy conditions; the pellets hold firmly to the ground, while the brass flakes in the M76 blow away. The MK 1 MOD 0 is also less toxic then the M76. It is based on burning RP, which, if inhaled in high concentrations for extended periods, could be harmful to humans, but has been cleared for use by chemists and toxicologists at the Edgewood Chemical and Biological Command in Maryland. The Marines have opted to use the MK 1 MOD 0 instead of the M76, which has been banned for use in training due to the health hazards and environmental risks of brass flakes.
The Grenade, 66mm, MK 1 MOD 0 reduces the probability of enemy hits by interrupting the line of sight (LOS) in the visual and infrared spectrum. It protects combat vehicles from visual and infrared observation; aiming equipment; sensor-guided weapons; as well as laser illuminators, beam-riders and laser rangefinders. The technology is based on a bi-modular, multispectral ammunition concept consisting of a rapid-reaction jamming module, which produces intense over-radiation by utilizing proven decoy technology, coupled with a long-duration module producing visual and infrared screening smoke.
The Marines plan to use the MK 1 MOD 0 wherever they deploy around the world. The Grenade, 66mm SSVL can only be fired from one of three dischargers fielded by the Marines: the M1 Abrams Tank, Amphibious Assault Vehicle, and the Light Armored Vehicle. Some USMC High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV) are mounted with M7 Light Vehicle Obstruction Smoke Screen Systems but are not authorized to use this Grenade, 66mm SSVL. The 66mm MASKE, the German version of the 66mm SSVL, is qualified for use in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands.
The order will be managed by American Rheinmetall Munitions, Inc. (ARM), which is headquartered in Stafford, Virginia. ARM is committed to continued growth through strategic teaming, excellent supply-chain management, advanced production techniques, and alignment with Department of Defense initiatives to provide the finest equipment for America's war-fighters.