What Military Systems Group does

Military Systems Group, Inc. is a Nashville, Tennessee-based defense manufacturer specializing in weapons mounting solutions for military land, air, and naval platforms. The company designs, engineers, prototypes, and manufactures machine gun mounts, swing arms, pedestals, turrets, gunner protection kits, and related accessories supporting a broad range of weapons including M2 .50 Caliber, M240/M249, M134 Minigun, MK19, MK48, DShK, PKM, M60, MK93, and MG3. Its portfolio spans three product domains — Land Systems (ground vehicle weaponization for Polaris MRZR/DAGOR, HMMWV, GMV 1.1, HIMARS, M270 MLRS, and others), Air Systems (H24 series helicopter mounts, EGMS, LWEGMS), and Naval Systems (H24-9, MK16 tripods, MK93 MOD4) — and includes specialized navalized non-corrosive mounts for maritime environments. The company operates a vertically integrated manufacturing model with in-house machining, fabrication, coating, prototyping, and quality assurance, and is certified to AS9100, ISO 9001, ITAR, and holds an FFL Type 10 license and CAGE codes 5YCA5 and 0DZR6.

Military Systems Group serves U.S. military customers including Navy SEALs, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Special Operations Command, U.S. Army, and U.S. Coast Guard, as well as foreign militaries such as the Israeli Defense Forces, alongside OEM vehicle manufacturers and weapons makers. Distribution operates through direct enterprise sales, GSA Advantage government marketplace listings, and OEM integration agreements with Polaris, Flyer Defense, AM General, and other defense vehicle primes. The company traces its history to RAMO, founded in 1977 by Pony Maples and Kay Horton as the first post-WWII manufacturer of M2HB .50 caliber machine guns, and rebuilt itself post-9/11 to support rapid design cycles. In August 2024, MSG acquired exclusive rights from CFD International to the EGMS, LWEGMS, and GAU-21/M3M Low Recoil Gun Cradle product lines, expanding its aviation mount portfolio.

The business model is primarily direct hardware sales to government and OEM customers, supplemented by build-to-print custom manufacturing services. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; customers build custom product lists through the company's online catalog system for quotation. Revenue streams are concentrated in hardware sales with multi-year contract cadences typical of defense procurement. Marketing channels include the company website and product catalog system, attendance at defense industry events such as AUSA, blog/news highlights, and the GSA Advantage government procurement marketplace. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors, and operates with a small employee base of 11-50.

Name

Military Systems Group

Legal name

Military Systems Group, Inc.

Website

https://milsysgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Military Systems Group is a Nashville-based defense manufacturer designing and producing weapon mounting solutions — machine gun mounts, swing arms, pedestals, and turrets — for U.S. and allied military land, air, and naval platforms, serving Navy SEALs, USMC, SOCOM, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, foreign militaries, and defense vehicle OEMs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defense Weapon Mounting Hardware

NAICS

Military Armored Vehicle, Tank, and Tank Component Manufacturing (336992), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)

SIC

Ordnance & Accessories, (No Vehicles/Guided Missiles) (3480), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)

akta.pro primary industry

Turrets, Remote Weapon Stations (RWS) & Armament Integration (IMABAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Naval Weapons & Launch Systems (Guns, VLS, Torpedoes Interfaces) (IMAJABAK)

Keywords

• Weapon mounting solutions
• Military hardware manufacturing
• Defense vehicle integration
• Machine gun mounts
• Turret and swing arm systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hardware Product Sales: Sale of machine gun mounts, swing arms, pedestals, turrets, gunner protection kits, ammunition can holders, and related accessories for military vehicles, aircraft, and naval vessels
2. Build to Print / Custom Manufacturing Services: Custom manufacturing services working directly with MSG specialists and engineers having field experience to create custom solutions for unique customer requirements
3. GSA Catalog Sales: Products available through GSA Advantage marketplace including vehicle turrets, machine gun mounts, pedestals, swing arms and vehicle accessories for government procurement

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Military Systems Group (MSG) designs and manufactures weapon mounting solutions — including machine gun mounts, swing arms, pedestals, turrets, and gunner protection kits — for military land vehicles, aircraft, and naval vessels. The company serves U.S. and allied militaries, special operations forces, vehicle OEMs, and weapons makers through direct sales, GSA Advantage procurement, and custom build-to-print engineering services.

Product overview

Military Systems Group is a defense contractor specializing in weapons mounting solutions, offering a comprehensive portfolio of physical products rather than a software platform. The core product line includes machine gun mounts supporting weapons such as M2 .50 Caliber, M240/M249, M134 Minigun, MK19, MK48, DShK, PKM, M60, MK93, and MG3. These are paired with supporting components including swing arms (SA9, SA12, SA14), pedestals (P-series fixed and plug-in), and mounting brackets. MSG provides domain-specific solutions across three military platforms: Land Systems (ground vehicle weapon integration for Polaris MRZR, Polaris DAGOR, HMMWV, GMV 1.1, and others), Air Systems (H24 series helicopter mounts), and Naval Systems (H24-9, MK16 tripods, MK93 MOD4). The company recently expanded its portfolio through acquisition of CFD International's EGMS, LWEGMS, and GAU-21/M3M product lines. Products are sold through GSA Advantage and distributed globally to military and law enforcement customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Machine Gun Mounts Core machine gun mounting systems supporting M2 .50 Caliber, M240/M249, M134 Minigun, MK19, MK48, DShK, PKM, M60, MK93, and MG3 weapons for land, air, and naval military vehicles and vessels.
• H24 Series Machine Gun Mounts H24 series gun mounts for rotary wing and aviation applications, including H24-8 for air systems and H24-9 for naval applications, supporting M240/M249-series weapons with various pintle configurations.
• Swing Arms Swing arm assemblies including SA9, SA12, and SA14 models that enable weapon deployment and retraction for vehicles and aircraft, supporting M240/M249, M134, and MK93 weapon systems.
• MK16 Tripod System U.S. Navy/Crane-designed tripod system optimized for naval use and vehicle applications, handling weapons up to twin .50 Cal M2s, made from non-corrosive materials.
• MK93 MOD4 Machine Gun Mount Non-corrosive navalized version of the MK93 Gun Mount supporting M2 .50 Cal and MK19 weapons with adapters for M240/M249, M60, and PKM weapons.
• Pedestal Systems Fixed-base pedestals (P3 through P41) ranging from 3 to 41 inches, plus plug-in pedestals designed for boats, vehicles, and guard towers supporting 5.56mm/7.62mm gun mounts.
• Gunner Protection Kits (GPK) Ballistic armor shields and brackets for gunner protection on various weapon mount configurations.
• Universal Pintle Adapter (UPA) Adapter enabling compatibility between various weapon systems and mount configurations, available with or without Y-arm and armor shield mounting bracket ears.
• Ground Vehicle Weapon Integration Complete weapon mounting solutions for tactical vehicles including Polaris MRZR, Polaris DAGOR, Polaris Ranger, HMMWV, GMV 1.1, Flyer Defense, Toyota Hilux, Land Cruiser LC79, HIMARS, M270 MLRS, LAV, ATVs, and Textron HAVOC.
• HMMWV Weapon Mounts Complete weapon mounting solutions for AM General HMMWV vehicles including turrets, low-profile A-frames, winch plates, brush guards, and pioneer tool kits.
• Traverse and Elevation Mechanism (T&E) Mechanism for precise weapon aiming adjustment on machine gun mounts.
• MSG USMC M35 Medium Machine Gun Vehicle Mount Vehicle mount for M240/MAG58 and M249/MK46/MINIMI weapons families, including H24-6, T&E, adapter brackets, tool bag, ammunition drum clip, and 7.62mm ammo can holder.
• MRZR Outfitted Systems Complete weaponization package for Polaris MRZR including multiple M240/M249 machine gun mounts, ROPS mount, AT-4 mount, pioneer tool kit, and outboard ammo can holders.
• External Gun Mount System (EGMS) External gun mount system for aircraft, acquired through CFD International exclusive rights and now part of MSG's aviation weapon mounting portfolio.
• Light Weight External Gun Mount System (LWEGMS) Lightweight external gun mount system for aircraft, acquired through CFD International exclusive rights.
• GAU-21/M3M Low Recoil Gun Cradle Low recoil gun cradle for GAU-21/M3M weapons, acquired through CFD International exclusive rights.
• Build to Print / Custom Manufacturing Services Custom manufacturing services where customers work directly with MSG specialists and engineers with field experience to create custom solutions for unique requirements, covering needs analysis, engineering, prototyping with live fire and vibration testing, and in-house manufacturing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Safety certified by U.S. Navy for naval gun mount applications
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CFD International (Contract Fabrication and Design)coreTechnology or Integration · 20 August 2024Military Systems Group acquired exclusive rights to CFD's External Gun Mount System (EGMS), Light Weight External Gun Mount System (LWEGMS), and GAU-21/M3M Low Recoil Gun Cradle. MSG owns the rights to and produces products associated with CAGE Codes 5YCA5 and 0DZR6 under the CFD International name. Major parts controlled and manufactured by MSG include components for Airbus H145, Bell 206/OH-58D Kiowa Warrior aircraft.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Knight's Armament Company: Specialty U.S. weapons and weapon accessory manufacturer with deep SOF relationships. Overlaps with MSG on weapon interface components, mounts, and rails supplied to elite military units.
• FN America: U.S. subsidiary of FN Herstal manufacturing firearms (M2, M240, M249) and weapon system accessories used by U.S. and allied militaries. Comparable as a complementary hardware supplier in the small-arms weapon ecosystem serving the same MSG customer set.
• Elbit Systems: Israeli defense electronics and weapons systems house producing remote controlled weapon stations (e.g., RCWS-30) and turret integrations. Comparable product overlap in land vehicle weapon mounting and integration, including naval and airborne gun mount solutions.
• Rafael Advanced Defense Systems: Israeli defense prime known for the Trophy active protection system and Samson remote weapon stations. Competes in the same turret and weapon mount category, particularly for armored vehicle and naval applications supplied to allied militaries including the IDF.
• Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace: Norwegian defense prime and maker of the PROTECTOR remote weapon station family. Directly comparable as a supplier of weapon mounting and turret systems to military land and naval platforms, competing for similar pintle/RWS content per vehicle.
• Wilcox Industries Corp: U.S. specialty manufacturer of weapon mounting, night vision and soldier-system hardware widely used by U.S. SOF. Closest like-for-like peer in the small-footprint, high-end weapon mount niche, with overlapping SOF and aviation customers.

Broad incumbents

• Thales Group: Global defense electronics prime with significant naval gun, optronics and weapon station businesses (e.g., NARWHAL). Wider portfolio than MSG but directly overlaps on naval gun mounts and fire-control integration for naval and land platforms.
• General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems: Large U.S. defense prime manufacturing weapons, munitions and integrated armament systems. Overlaps with MSG on crew-served weapons and mounting solutions supplied to the U.S. military, though at vastly larger scale and broader product scope.
• Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions: U.S. defense supplier of specialized hardware, including weapons handling and turret systems for ground and naval platforms. Comparable as a tier-1 supplier of mission-critical mechanical and electromechanical defense components, though operating at much greater scale.
• BAE Systems Ordnance & Tactical Systems: U.S. defense business supplying weapons, ammunition and integrated armament solutions including ground vehicle mounts. Comparable as a much larger incumbent in the same defense hardware procurement channels (DoD prime contracting).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Military Systems Group