ATK was awarded a $35.8 million contract for the Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the Hard Target Void Sensing Fuze (HTVSF) program.

The 37-month EMD contract begins in March 2011 and will allow ATK to further refine the HTVSF design and perform all qualification testing necessary to move into production. The program is a joint effort between the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, and ATK. The EMD contract was awarded by the Air Armament Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

The HTVSF is an advanced technology, cockpit-programmable fuze that provides the capability to destroy deeply-buried targets not reachable by other fuzing options. It will provide multiple delay arming and detonation times, as well as a void sensing function which allows precision activation of the fuze. The HTVSF is intended to be used with all current and future families of 2,000 and 5,000 pound air delivered penetrating weapons.

As an industry leader in advanced fuzing technology, ATK developed the all-electronic HTVSF that builds on its extensive design and production experience. The HTVSF incorporates advanced sensors, algorithms, and hardened electronics technology to offer the warfighter unprecedented capability against the most sophisticated targets.

"ATK has a tremendous engineering and operations team dedicated to making HTVSF a success, and we are proud to have been selected," said Mike Kahn, President of ATK Missile Products Group. "Our expertise in the design, development and production of innovative, reliable, and affordable precision fuzing products positions ATK well to meet future needs."

"ATK has been developing hard target defeat fuzing technology for more than a decade and has taken the best attributes and incorporated them into the HTVSF," said Dave Fine, Vice President, Fuzing and Warheads. He continued, "We will deliver a fuze with unprecedented survivability and precision into the hands of our warfighters to allow destruction of high-value, deeply-buried targets not reachable with today's fuzing options."

Upon successful completion of EMD, ATK expects to transition into low rate initial production (LRIP) in April 2014 and then become the primary supplier of the HTVSF.