Munitions

Mk310 PABM-T

Also known as
  • Mk310 PABM
  • 30mm PABM-T
  • 30x173mm Mk310 PABM-T
  • Mk310 Mod 0
  • MK310 MOD 0 PABM-T
  • 30mm Mk310 programmable airburst munition

The Mk310 PABM-T is Northrop Grumman's 30x173 mm programmable air-burst munition with tracer for Bushmaster Mk44-family 30 mm cannons. Its inductively set turn-and-time fuze gives crews airburst, point-detonate, and point-detonate-delay modes, and U.S. Army budget records identify the Mk310 Mod 0 as the urgent-materiel-release programmable round tied to Stryker lethality work.

Mk310 PABM-T, 30 mm programmable air-burst munition with tracer, Munitions
Image source: 30x173mm Bushmaster Chain Guns
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Type
30 mm programmable air-burst munition with tracer
Service note
Modern Bushmaster ammunition

Specifications

Caliber
30x173 mm
Cartridge length
290 mm
Projectile weight
438 g
Cartridge weight
730 g
Muzzle velocity
970 m/s
Propellant weight
143 g
Dispersion
1.0 mr rad. max
Trace time
5 sec min
Fuze and modes
Inductively set turn-and-time fuze with airburst, point-detonate, and point-detonate-delay modes
Compatible gun family
Designed for the Bushmaster Mk44 cannon family; XM813 briefing notes ability to program and fire Mk310
Firing Weapons

Northrop Grumman describes the Mk310 PABM-T as a Bushmaster Mk44-family round, and Army and naval sources show how that gun family appears in vehicle and shipboard mounts.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
DS30M 30 mm naval gun, Naval gun, Naval SystemsDS30M 30 mm naval gun30 mm naval gun mount

Northrop Grumman says the Mk310 PABM-T is designed to be fired from the Bushmaster Mk44 cannon, which is the cannon used in the DS30M mount.

Sources: 30mm X 173mm Suite of Ammunition Product Brochure, 30x173mm Bushmaster Chain Guns, MSI-DS SEAHAWK DS A2

MK 46 Mod 2 30mm GWS, 30 mm remote gun system, Naval SystemsMK 46 Mod 2 30mm GWS30 mm naval gun weapon system

The U.S. Navy identifies the MK 46 Mod 2 as a remote gun system built around the Mk 44 Mod 2 cannon, and Northrop Grumman identifies the Mk310 PABM-T as designed for the Mk44 Bushmaster family.

Sources: MK 46 - 30 mm Gun Weapon System, 30mm X 173mm Suite of Ammunition Product Brochure

Compatibility versus conflict use

These relationships document firing-system compatibility. They do not by themselves establish that Mk310 PABM-T was used in a specific conflict.

Sources: 30mm X 173mm Suite of Ammunition Product Brochure, 2nd Cavalry Regiment Lethality Upgrade Update to NDIA

Programming And Firing Context

The Mk310 is useful as a component page because the round depends on a compatible gun and fuze-setting path, not just cartridge dimensions. Official and manufacturer sources connect the round to Mk44-family guns, Army Stryker lethality work, and shipboard Mk44 mounts.

ContextDocumented connectionReader takeaway
Bushmaster Mk44 familyNorthrop Grumman describes the Mk310 PABM-T as a 30x173 mm Bushmaster Mk44-family round set by an inductive turn-and-time fuze.The round's airburst effect requires a gun and fire-control setup that can program the fuze before firing.
XM813 / Stryker lethalityThe Army's 2nd Cavalry Regiment lethality-upgrade briefing said the XM813 primary weapon could program and fire Mk310, and Army budget records list Mk310 Mod 0 urgent-release milestones.Mk310 is tied to the U.S. Army's modern medium-caliber direct-fire lethality effort, not only to naval mounts.
Shipboard Mk44 mountsThe DS30M and MK 46 Mod 2 records identify Mk44-family 30 mm guns, while Northrop's brochure identifies Mk310 as designed for the Mk44 family.Catalog relationships should be read as compatibility evidence unless a conflict-specific source names Mk310 itself.
Timeline

Mk310 PABM-T Key Events

  1. XM813 Stryker upgrade briefing names Mk310

    The 2nd Cavalry Regiment lethality-upgrade briefing described the XM813 primary weapon as able to program and fire the Mk310 air-burst munition.

    Sources: 2nd Cavalry Regiment Lethality Upgrade Update to NDIA

  2. Urgent materiel release milestone

    Army FY 2021 budget schedules listed the 30 mm Mk310 Mod 0 PABM-T urgent materiel release and a production-contract award in 2019.

    Sources: PB 2021 Weapons and Munitions RDT&E

Media

Mk310 PABM-T Videos

Mk310 PABM-T Images

Mk310 PABM-T, 30 mm programmable air-burst munition with tracer, Munitions - view 1
Source: 30x173mm Bushmaster Chain Guns
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Sources

30mm X 173mm Suite of Ammunition Product BrochurePublisher: Northrop Grumman | Note: Supports the Mk310 PABM-T designation, ammunition description, cartridge dimensions, projectile weight, muzzle velocity, fuze system, and firing modes. | Accessed: 2026-06-2930x173mm Bushmaster Chain GunsPublisher: Northrop Grumman | Note: Supports Bushmaster 30x173mm family background, Mk44 cannon context, official product imagery, and compatibility context for the Mk310 round. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Advanced Ammunition: Defeating Impossible Enemy ThreatsPublisher: Northrop Grumman | Note: Supports U.S. Army partnership and fielding context for the Mk310 programmable airburst family and explains the basic fuze-mode concept. | Accessed: 2026-06-292nd Cavalry Regiment Lethality Upgrade Update to NDIAPublisher: U.S. Army / NDIA | Note: Supports the 2nd Cavalry Regiment Stryker lethality-upgrade context and the XM813 primary weapon's ability to program and fire Mk310 air-burst ammunition. | Accessed: 2026-06-29PB 2021 Weapons and Munitions RDT&EPublisher: Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller) | Note: Supports the Mk310 Mod 0 PABM-T urgent materiel release, safety qualification, and production-contract milestone schedule under Army 30 mm lethality work. | Accessed: 2026-06-29JPEO A&A 2026 Portfolio BookPublisher: Joint Program Executive Office Armaments & Ammunition | Note: Supports the fielded Mk310 Mod 0 programmable air-burst cartridge context for the Stryker Lethality Operational Needs Statement. | Accessed: 2026-06-29MK 46 - 30 mm Gun Weapon SystemPublisher: U.S. Navy | Note: Supports the MK 46 Mod 2 relationship by documenting its Mk 44 Mod 2 cannon, remote operation, magazine capacity, and shipboard defensive role. | Accessed: 2026-06-29MSI-DS SEAHAWK DS A2Publisher: MSI-Defence Systems | Note: Supports the DS30M/SEAHAWK DS A2 naval mount context and its Mk44-family 30 mm cannon relationship. | Accessed: 2026-06-29