Lonestar Future Weapons announced last week it has entered into a strategic partnership with composite-cased ammunition manufacturer True Velocity.The announcement signals the execution of a post-development phase strategy by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems and Lonestar Future Weapons in their bid for the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program.
Lonestar Future Weapons will assume the prime contractor role in the final stage of the NGSW weapons system submission, focused on manufacturing the advanced weapons required to meet or exceed all standards set forth by the U.S. Army. True Velocity will continue to serve as ammunition subcontractor responsible for the provision of its advanced 6.8 TVCM composite-cased cartridge.
“We are going to bring weapons systems to market that fire the most advanced, accurate and reliable ammunition available, and we’re going to build them here in America,” said Craig Etchegoyen, chairman of Lone Star Future Weapons. “Our speed-to-manufacturing and domestic production will undoubtedly enhance the growth of the defense industrial base in the U.S.”
Lonestar Future Weapons is led by a team that includes third-generation American manufacturers with deep experience in the aerospace and defense industries. Chief among them is Automatic Products Corporation, an AS9100:2015 Rev D-registered manufacturer of high-precision machined and assembled components. Established in 1957, APC operates out of a 118,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility in Garland, TX.
“True Velocity composite-cased ammunition represents a paradigm shift in terms of what is possible with internal ballistics,” said Kevin Boscamp, chairman and CEO of True Velocity. “Our strategic partnership with Lone Star Future Weapons and APC to design and optimize future weapons around our ammunition represents an unprecedented advancement in defense innovation that provides our warfighters with an unfair advantage on the battlefield.” True Velocity was founded in 2010 and is also located in Garland, TX.
