WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced today that the U.S. Army has awarded General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products (GD-ATP), who recently consolidated under General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS), a firm-fixed-price contract worth $255 million to procure additional M2A1 Quick Change Barrel (QCB) kits. 

The kits are used to change the barrel for the Army’s .50 caliber machine guns. All production will be performed at GD-OTS in Saco for this five year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with the first year’s work estimated over $60 million.

“This contract is great news for General Dynamics and its dedicated employees,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “This award is further proof that, when it comes to producing gun systems for our nation’s military, the job done at General Dynamics’ facility in Saco is second to none. 

In the FY2013 Defense Appropriations bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins strongly supported inclusion of funding to procure the M2 QCB kits for the M2A1 weapon.  The FY2013 Appropriations bill was passed by the full Senate on March 20, 2013 with support from Senators Collins and King.

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