The Army has discovered its replacements for the M4 rifle and M249 Squad Computerized Weapon, handing out a contract to place new weapons within the fingers of tens of 1000’s of troopers.
The drive is awarding a 10-year, $20.4 million contract to Sig Sauer for the XM5 Rifle, which can change into the brand new normal rifle for troopers, and the XM250 Computerized Rifle, which can exchange the SAW.
The service may even swap from 5.56mm ammo to six.8mm, after a seek for rounds higher constructed to penetrate physique armor.
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“Each weapons fireplace frequent 6.8 millimeter ammunition using authorities supplied projectiles and vendor-designed cartridges,” an Army spokesperson stated in a press launch. “The brand new ammunition contains a number of sorts of tactical and coaching rounds that improve accuracy and are extra deadly towards rising threats than each the 5.56mm and seven.62mm ammunition.”
The information comes after a 27-month analysis course of wherein different protection contractors, together with Common Dynamics, competed to be the Army’s go-to small arms supplier.
The weapons will embrace the XM157 Fireplace Management optic, which features a laser vary finder, ballistic calculator, seen and infrared lasers, and a compass. That optic is made by Vortex Optics.
It is unclear what number of weapons the Army goals to purchase over the last decade, or how rapidly troopers will completely ditch the decades-old SAW and rifle. In its proposed 2023 price range, the drive is requesting 29,046 new weapons. However that price range nonetheless must be authorised by Congress.
— Steve Beynon could be reached at Steve.Beynon@navy.com. Observe him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.
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