Manufacturer catalog

U.S. Army Weapons Command

U.S. Army Weapons Command was the Army Materiel Command's conventional-weapons development command at Rock Island Arsenal. During its 1962-1973 existence, USAWECOM handled development work and systems analysis for small arms, aircraft armament, artillery, air defense guns, and tank-related weapon systems.

1 weapons

U.S. Army Weapons Command, usually abbreviated USAWECOM, emerged from the Army's 1962 reorganization as the conventional-weapons command at Rock Island Arsenal. Army history sources describe it as the organization responsible for developing the Army's conventional weapons, including small arms, aircraft armament, artillery, air defense weapons, and tank systems.

The command operated during a period when Rock Island Arsenal laboratories were working on Vietnam-era fire-support, air-defense, and small-arms problems. Army history articles connect Rock Island Arsenal work to the XM102/M102 lightweight howitzer family and describe the XM16 rifle as emerging from the Special Purpose Individual Weapon program in the Weapons Command's Small Arms Laboratory.

In September 1973 the command was merged with the U.S. Army Munitions Command to form the U.S. Army Armament Command. Catalog entries that carry the Weapons Command lineage generally refer to this historical Army Materiel Command organization rather than a private defense company.

Conventional weapon systems developmentSmall armsAircraft armamentArtilleryAir defense weaponsTank systems

Notable Systems

M167 Vulcan, Towed 20 mm short-range anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense

M167 Vulcan

Towed 20 mm short-range anti-aircraft gun

The towed 20 mm Vulcan air-defense gun fits the air-defense-gun category that Army sources place within USAWECOM's conventional-weapons responsibility, and the catalog record carries the Weapons Command in its manufacturer lineage.

Sources: Systems Analysis in the U.S. Army Weapons Command
M102 105 mm Howitzer, 105 mm lightweight towed howitzer, Artillery

M102 105 mm Howitzer

105 mm lightweight towed howitzer

Army Rock Island Arsenal history identifies the XM102/M102 lightweight howitzer work as a Rock Island Arsenal program from the USAWECOM period, including production beginning in 1964 and component work at Rock Island, Frankford, and Watervliet.

Sources: Supporting fire: Stabilizing firepower in a swamp, RIA Self-Guided Tour: XM102 Experimental 105MM Light Towed Howitzer

Manufacturer History

  1. U.S. Army Weapons Command is created

    The Army's 1962 reorganization created WECOM at Rock Island Arsenal when the Ordnance Special Weapons Ammunition Command split into separate weapons and munitions commands.

    Sources: Joint Munitions Command History

  2. Merged into U.S. Army Armament Command

    In September 1973, WECOM merged with the U.S. Army Munitions Command to form the U.S. Army Armament Command at Rock Island Arsenal.

    Sources: Joint Munitions Command History

  3. Army republishes USAWECOM systems-analysis article

    The Army republished a 1970 Army Logistician article by MG Henry A. Rasmussen explaining USAWECOM's mission and how systems analysis supported decisions across aircraft armament, artillery, air defense guns, tank systems, and small arms.

    Sources: Systems Analysis in the U.S. Army Weapons Command

  4. Army history article documents Rock Island M102 work

    Army Sustainment Command history described Rock Island Arsenal weapons laboratories, XM102/M102 howitzer modifications, and the Weapons Command Small Arms Laboratory's SPIW/XM16 work as part of Vietnam-era weapons development.

    Sources: Supporting fire: Stabilizing firepower in a swamp

Predecessors
Ordnance Special Weapons Ammunition Command
Successors
U.S. Army Armament Command
Website links
Joint Munitions Command HistorySystems Analysis in the U.S. Army Weapons CommandA Self-Guided Tour of Rock Island Arsenal

Historical Army command; modern Army history pages describe it under the USAWECOM abbreviation, sometimes through later successor organizations such as ARMCOM and Army Sustainment Command history offices.

Manufacturer Sources

  • Joint Munitions Command HistoryPublisher: The United States Army | Note: Supports the 1962 creation of U.S. Army Weapons Command at Rock Island Arsenal and the September 1973 merger into U.S. Army Armament Command. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • Systems Analysis in the U.S. Army Weapons CommandPublisher: The United States Army | Note: Supports USAWECOM's Rock Island Arsenal location and its mission developing the Army's conventional weapons, including small arms, aircraft armament, artillery, air defense weapons, and tank systems. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • A Self-Guided Tour of Rock Island ArsenalPublisher: The United States Army | Note: Supports the 1970 Rock Island Arsenal sundial dedication to the U.S. Army Weapons Command and the command's association with Rock Island Arsenal. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • Supporting fire: Stabilizing firepower in a swampPublisher: The United States Army | Note: Supports Rock Island Arsenal weapons-laboratory work on the XM102/M102 howitzer, XM6 firing platform, and Weapons Command Small Arms Laboratory SPIW/XM16 context. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • RIA Self-Guided Tour: XM102 Experimental 105MM Light Towed HowitzerPublisher: The United States Army | Note: Supports Rock Island Arsenal design and development of the XM102 recoil mechanism and carriage and M102 service context. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Commons M102 Howitzer ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports rights-clear image metadata for the M102 howitzer photo used in this profile. | Accessed: 2026-07-11

Produced weapons

Category

Air Defense

Systems that contest aircraft, missiles, helicopters, and drones.

1/1
M167 Vulcan, Towed 20 mm short-range anti-aircraft gun, Air Defense1990 Gulf War, 2014 Yemen Civil WarM167 VulcanTowed 20 mm short-range anti-aircraft gunBuilt in: United StatesThe M167 Vulcan is a U.S.-origin towed short-range air-defense gun built around the 20 mm M168 six-barrel rotary cannon, a carriage-mounted adaptation of the Vulcan family for close-in defense against aircraft and ground targets. U.S. records place M-167 guns with coalition forces during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, while Yemen imagery shows Houthi forces using captured guns on improvised vehicle mounts as mobile direct-fire weapons.