The US Army is still buying time, and metal, for its artillery supply chain. It has extended the deadline for proposals on the 155mm Modular Artillery for Combat Effectiveness competition, solicitation W15QKN26R1C5R, from 30 September to 30 October 2026, and moved the basic agreement years to fiscal 2027–2029.
A separate notice, posted on 9 October, says the Army intends a five-year sole-source deal with Conco in Louisville for the metal containers used on 155mm modular charges. The estimated ceiling is $586 million, with a $5.2 million minimum. A request for proposals is expected in December, and an award is projected for the third quarter of fiscal 2027.
Guns are still prototypes
The launcher side of the same problem is further from a factory order. Hanwha Defense USA’s wheeled howitzer agreement, signed on 18 August, is worth $100.3 million for the first six guns and has a ceiling of $262.9 million. Reporting in early October said the Army had ordered three more prototypes. That work is an evaluation, not a production contract.
For ammunition and weapons plants, the commercial question is whether to add shifts and tooling now, against competitions that have not yet become multi-year production.