Battelle said it recently partnered with the U.S. Army Close Combat Systems Program Office to support the Full Material Release (FMR) of the new M111 Offensive Hand Grenade (OHG), the first new offensive hand grenade since 1968.
The M111 was developed over many years of close collaboration between the Army and Battelle to ensure a safe and repeatable manufacturing process. Battelle supported various stages of the development, starting with an initial concept, completing Process Verification Testing (PVT) and executing FMR by prototyping nearly 7,000 grenades and conducting first article and lot acceptance tests.
Battelle and the Army worked closely together over multiple years to refine the technical processes required to improve the grenades’ safety and performance. This new system provides soldiers with a safer alternative to the M67 fragmenting grenade by utilizing a blast over pressure effect, removing fragmenting effects and minimizing risk for fratricide.
The M111 OHG will replace the obsolete body and fuze of the Mk3A2 hand grenade series, which is restricted for use due to its asbestos body unlike the M111 which utilizes a plastic body that is fully consumed during detonation.
U.S. Army
