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U.S. Army Approves M111, First New Lethal Hand Grenade Since 1968

Full Material Release opens production of a blast‑overpressure design tailored to close‑quarters urban combat.

Overview

  • The M111 uses blast overpressure to neutralize threats in enclosed spaces, addressing fratricide risks seen with fragmentation grenades in urban fighting.
  • It replaces the obsolete Mk3A2 series restricted for its asbestos body, adopting a plastic casing that is consumed on detonation.
  • Army officials say the M111 complements the M67, with M111 prioritized for confined terrain and the M67 retained for open areas.
  • The M111 and its M112 training variant share the same fuzes and five‑step arming process as the M67/M69, streamlining training and procurement.
  • Developed at Picatinny Arsenal by CPE A&E and DEVCOM, the program retains government‑owned IP to enable competitive production across the industrial base.