The Dead District: 2nd Squadron 2nd Cavalry Regiment of US Army became the first unit which receive Mark 3-10 programmable air burst munitions

Thursday, December 10, 2020

2nd Squadron 2nd Cavalry Regiment of US Army became the first unit which receive Mark 3-10 programmable air burst munitions

BEMOWO PISKIE TRAINING AREA, Poland - U.S. Soldiers, assigned to the Eagle Troop and Fox Troop, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, became the first U.S. unit to fire the coveted Mark 310 programmable air burst munitions at the Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland, Nov. 12, 2020 in support of NATO's enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group-Poland. The troops were selected due to their up-gunned Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle - Dragoons, which are the only vehicles in the U.S. Army equipped with the quick-firing cannon weapon platform that allows for the use of these extremely precise and deadly 30mm rounds.

Jack Cooper, lethality consultant, on behalf of Program Manager-Maneuver Ammunition Systems Col. Paul Alessio and PM-MAS Medium Caliber Lt. Col. Andre Johnson, and a support team from General Dynamics Land System flew in from Fort Benning, Georgia to lend their expertise.

“What is special about these munitions is that they have a three-mode function," said Cooper. "They can be shot and point detonated, where they explode when they hit the target; shot with a deadly delay, where they explode after they hit the target; or, they can be shot in air-burst mode, where we have the ability to set time, distance, width and depth.”

Cooper explained that the onboard computer sets a box around the target, and the operator fills the box with a certain pattern to get the effectiveness and conditions desired. Once the Soldier pulls the trigger, the user-friendly computer system does the work with deadly accuracy.

“So far, the system is performing very well,” said Cooper. “It's a game changer.”

The squadron's master gunner Staff Sgt. Bryan Miller, who is responsible for fielding the equipment, agreed and said the new rounds will give 2nd Cavalry the upper hand against any potential aggressor in the region.

“This is it," said Miller. "We have this round in our go-to-war stock here right now. If the enemy horde was to come over that hill, we could get that ammunition up and running and ready to go. And now, our soldiers have the confidence in actually shooting, not a training round, but the full service ammo.”

Miller elaborated.

“This is the first time in my career that I have seen them actually using service ammunition, so to be able to fire this is awesome,” said Miller. “This is a first ever.”