The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has awarded BAE Systems Bofors a framework agreement for its 40mm 3P ammunition. NATO member nations can now buy the round through NSPA, the company announced on 24 September.
The company said that the agreement “enables NATO member nations to procure the ammunition through NSPA's framework, supporting a more streamlined and cost-effective acquisition process”.
3P stands for pre-fragmented, programmable and proximity-fused. According to BAE Systems Bofors, the round can engage drones, missiles, helicopters, swarming boats, surface vessels and land targets. It is fired from the Bofors 40 Mk4 naval gun and the TRIDON Mk2 ground-based air defence system.
The ammunition is already on order in the Nordic region. In January, BAE Systems announced a $171 million joint order from Sweden and Finland, with Sweden receiving both 40mm and 57mm 3P ammunition and Finland receiving 57mm rounds, as previously reported on by NDS.