USA Army selects Sig Sauer to produce Next Generation Squad Weapon and ammo

[Nilgiri]

Army selects Sig Sauer to produce Next Generation Squad Weapon and ammo

Finally!

taskandpurpose.com

The wait is over. The Army has selected Sig Sauer to build the Next Generation Squad Weapon’s rifle and machine-gun variants that are intended to replace the M4 and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.

Sig Sauer was awarded a $20.4 million contract to build the XM5 Rifle and the XM250 Automatic Rifle as well as the 6.8 mm ammunition that they chamber, Army officials announced on Tuesday.

“Both weapons provide significant capability improvements in accuracy, range and overall lethality. They are lightweight, fire more lethal ammunition, mitigate recoil, provide improved barrel performance, and include integrated muzzle sound and flash reduction,” an Army news release says. “Both weapons fire common 6.8-millimeter ammunition utilizing government-provided projectiles and vendor-designed cartridges. The new ammunition includes multiple types of tactical and training rounds that increase accuracy and are more lethal against emerging threats than both the 5.56mm and 7.62mm ammunition.”

Sig Sauer’s XM5 Rifle on display during an April 20 briefing at the Pentagon on the Next Generation Squad Weapon. (Jeff Schogol/Task & Purpose)
The XM5 Rifle weighs about 8.3 pounds — slightly heavier than an M4, which typically weighs about 7.3 pounds. Sig Sauer’s design for the machine gun variant weighs 12 pounds, and that is lighter than both the M249 and M240 machine guns, which weigh 18 pounds and 28 pounds respectively.

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The Sig Sauer design chambers a 6.8 x 51 mm round with a maximum chamber pressure of 80,000 pounds per square inch that extends the weapon’s range without the need for a longer barrel or heavier ammunition. That is a much higher pressure than the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO round chambered by M4 carbines and M249 machine guns, which has a maximum chamber pressure of 62,000 pounds per square inch.

Sig Sauer’s XM 250 Automatic Rifle on display during an April 20 briefing at the Pentagon on the Next Generation Squad Weapon. (Jeff Schogol/Task & Purpose)
Ian McCollum, a gun expert and host of the “Forgotten Weapons” YouTube channel, told Task & Purpose during SHOT Show 2022 that he didn’t think an infantry rifle could have a long service life if it fired such a high-pressure round.

But Sig Sauer President and CEO Ron Cohen told Task & Purpose in January that his company’s design for the Next Generation Squad Weapon could fire up to 12,000 rounds before needing to change barrels, whereas soldiers typically need to replace the barrels on their M4 carbines after firing 6,000 rounds.

Sig Sauer’s submission for both Next Generation Squad Weapon variants and ammunition was selected over a design offered by LoneStar Future Weapons, owned by True Velocity. The LoneStar design for the weapon featured a “bullpup” configuration, in which the magazine is behind the trigger control assembly, and a reciprocating barrel that moves backwards with each shot to absorb recoil.

The most innovative feature of LoneStar’s design was the composite 6.8 mm ammunition made by True Velocity, which is an average of 30% lighter than brass cartridges.

Soldiers have been waiting for five years to get their hands on the Next Generation Squad Weapon.

In May 2017, Gen. Mark Milley, then Army Chief of Staff, warned Congress that newer types of body armor sold for just $250 by “adversarial states” could stop the 5.56 mm round chambered by the U.S. military’s M4 carbines, M16 rifles, and M-249 machine guns.

After looking for a commercially available weapon to serve as an interim rifle, the Army decided in October 2017 to find a replacement for the M4 and M249.

The Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle and machine gun variants are expected to be fielded to soldiers in the “Close Combat Force,” a term that encompasses several frontline military occupational specialties including infantry, cavalry scouts, combat medics, forward observers, combat engineers, and special operations forces.

The Army expects to have a better idea this summer about how long it will take to field the Next Generation Squad Weapon to soldiers.

=============================

Now all that remains to be seen is will it actually happen?

@Milspec @Peace Lover et al.

 

[schuimpjes]

Army selects Sig Sauer to produce Next Generation Squad Weapon and ammo

Finally!

taskandpurpose.com

The wait is over. The Army has selected Sig Sauer to build the Next Generation Squad Weapon’s rifle and machine-gun variants that are intended to replace the M4 and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.

Sig Sauer was awarded a $20.4 million contract to build the XM5 Rifle and the XM250 Automatic Rifle as well as the 6.8 mm ammunition that they chamber, Army officials announced on Tuesday.

“Both weapons provide significant capability improvements in accuracy, range and overall lethality. They are lightweight, fire more lethal ammunition, mitigate recoil, provide improved barrel performance, and include integrated muzzle sound and flash reduction,” an Army news release says. “Both weapons fire common 6.8-millimeter ammunition utilizing government-provided projectiles and vendor-designed cartridges. The new ammunition includes multiple types of tactical and training rounds that increase accuracy and are more lethal against emerging threats than both the 5.56mm and 7.62mm ammunition.”

Sig Sauer’s XM5 Rifle on display during an April 20 briefing at the Pentagon on the Next Generation Squad Weapon. (Jeff Schogol/Task & Purpose)
The XM5 Rifle weighs about 8.3 pounds — slightly heavier than an M4, which typically weighs about 7.3 pounds. Sig Sauer’s design for the machine gun variant weighs 12 pounds, and that is lighter than both the M249 and M240 machine guns, which weigh 18 pounds and 28 pounds respectively.


The Sig Sauer design chambers a 6.8 x 51 mm round with a maximum chamber pressure of 80,000 pounds per square inch that extends the weapon’s range without the need for a longer barrel or heavier ammunition. That is a much higher pressure than the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO round chambered by M4 carbines and M249 machine guns, which has a maximum chamber pressure of 62,000 pounds per square inch.

Sig Sauer’s XM 250 Automatic Rifle on display during an April 20 briefing at the Pentagon on the Next Generation Squad Weapon. (Jeff Schogol/Task & Purpose)
Ian McCollum, a gun expert and host of the “Forgotten Weapons” YouTube channel, told Task & Purpose during SHOT Show 2022 that he didn’t think an infantry rifle could have a long service life if it fired such a high-pressure round.

But Sig Sauer President and CEO Ron Cohen told Task & Purpose in January that his company’s design for the Next Generation Squad Weapon could fire up to 12,000 rounds before needing to change barrels, whereas soldiers typically need to replace the barrels on their M4 carbines after firing 6,000 rounds.

Sig Sauer’s submission for both Next Generation Squad Weapon variants and ammunition was selected over a design offered by LoneStar Future Weapons, owned by True Velocity. The LoneStar design for the weapon featured a “bullpup” configuration, in which the magazine is behind the trigger control assembly, and a reciprocating barrel that moves backwards with each shot to absorb recoil.

The most innovative feature of LoneStar’s design was the composite 6.8 mm ammunition made by True Velocity, which is an average of 30% lighter than brass cartridges.

Soldiers have been waiting for five years to get their hands on the Next Generation Squad Weapon.

In May 2017, Gen. Mark Milley, then Army Chief of Staff, warned Congress that newer types of body armor sold for just $250 by “adversarial states” could stop the 5.56 mm round chambered by the U.S. military’s M4 carbines, M16 rifles, and M-249 machine guns.

After looking for a commercially available weapon to serve as an interim rifle, the Army decided in October 2017 to find a replacement for the M4 and M249.

The Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle and machine gun variants are expected to be fielded to soldiers in the “Close Combat Force,” a term that encompasses several frontline military occupational specialties including infantry, cavalry scouts, combat medics, forward observers, combat engineers, and special operations forces.

The Army expects to have a better idea this summer about how long it will take to field the Next Generation Squad Weapon to soldiers.

=============================

Now all that remains to be seen is will it actually happen?

@Milspec @Peace Lover et al.

Still not yet known when this XM5 gonna be fielded and for who? My bet, 82nd or another next unit in rotation in Poland will get it first.

Imagine Europe started to be poured with .277 Fury and US logistics for 5.56 would come in smaller number, because of less demand from US Army. US as the ‘arsenal of democracy’ indirectly forced another NATO states to change their standard rifle with .277 Fury because the additional wartime munition is that round, the supply is more abundant than the 5.56. Transitioning slowly to 6.8, but 5.56 still would be used for sure but less.

Here in Asia Pacific, USMC with its M27 influence still dominates here, no need to change the rifle yet for Asia Pacific countries, CMIIW

 

[UkroTurk]

Americans know their shit better than us. İf they choose 6.8 cal , soon 5.56mm won't be enough for their battle doctrines.

Everystep they make are based on their doctrine , military purchases are not based on wishes of corruptioner dictators.

That's why always democracy wins at the end.


As 6.8 mm cal gives high velocity and burrell pressure , the material of rifle must have high quality.

 

[Nilgiri]

Still not yet known when this XM5 gonna be fielded and for who? My bet, 82nd or another next unit in rotation in Poland will get it first.

Imagine Europe started to be poured with .277 Fury and US logistics for 5.56 would come in smaller number, because of less demand from US Army. US as the ‘arsenal of democracy’ indirectly forced another NATO states to change their standard rifle with .277 Fury because the additional wartime munition is that round, the supply is more abundant than the 5.56. Transitioning slowly to 6.8, but 5.56 still would be used for sure but less.

Here in Asia Pacific, USMC with its M27 influence still dominates here, no need to change the rifle yet for Asia Pacific countries, CMIIW

Kind of odd its a new proprietary round (I guess we can call it 6.8 SIG heh).....not the already available 6.8 SPC.

Apparently the case will be a steel/brass hybrid.

Also doesn't look like the machine gun barrel change will be quick and tool-less.

But maybe it was tradeoff to get the system this compact.

 

[schuimpjes]

Kind of odd its a new proprietary round (I guess we can call it 6.8 SIG heh).....not the already available 6.8 SPC.

It’s not gonna be proprietary anymore when the supply of this round are more abundant. Firearm manufacturers will started to make rifles with this round because the supply of this round increasing, thanks to the US Army.

 

[Hexciter]

This is one of why 6.8 mm introduced!

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1517240812765126656

 

[Soldier30]

The famous American M-16 rifle, which has been in service for many years, is becoming a thing of the past. It will be replaced by the new XM5 assault rifle of the German company Sig Sauer, which has its own branch in the United States. The M249 machine gun will also be replaced, it will be replaced by the XM250 light machine gun of the same company. One of the main reasons for the rearmament is the weak penetration characteristics of the 5.56 mm caliber cartridge, as a result of which the M249 machine gun and the M-16 rifle began to poorly penetrate modern army bulletproof vests. The characteristics of the XM5 are still unknown, however, according to experts, they largely correspond to its civilian version - the MCX Spear, that is, the rifle has a length of 80 cm and a weight of 3.8 kg. It uses a two-stage trigger and a 20-round magazine. The assault rifle will be equipped with a silencer as a base, so that future fights will be much quieter. Both models are chambered in .277 with a new 6.8mm cartridge that outperforms previous generations of 5.56 and 7.62mm rounds in terms of lethality and range. The US Army plans to purchase 250,000 XM5 and XM250 units. When entering service, they will receive the designations M5 and M250.

 

[trishna_amrta]

Army selects Sig Sauer to produce Next Generation Squad Weapon and ammo

Finally!

taskandpurpose.com

The wait is over. The Army has selected Sig Sauer to build the Next Generation Squad Weapon’s rifle and machine-gun variants that are intended to replace the M4 and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.

Sig Sauer was awarded a $20.4 million contract to build the XM5 Rifle and the XM250 Automatic Rifle as well as the 6.8 mm ammunition that they chamber, Army officials announced on Tuesday.

“Both weapons provide significant capability improvements in accuracy, range and overall lethality. They are lightweight, fire more lethal ammunition, mitigate recoil, provide improved barrel performance, and include integrated muzzle sound and flash reduction,” an Army news release says. “Both weapons fire common 6.8-millimeter ammunition utilizing government-provided projectiles and vendor-designed cartridges. The new ammunition includes multiple types of tactical and training rounds that increase accuracy and are more lethal against emerging threats than both the 5.56mm and 7.62mm ammunition.”

Sig Sauer’s XM5 Rifle on display during an April 20 briefing at the Pentagon on the Next Generation Squad Weapon. (Jeff Schogol/Task & Purpose)
The XM5 Rifle weighs about 8.3 pounds — slightly heavier than an M4, which typically weighs about 7.3 pounds. Sig Sauer’s design for the machine gun variant weighs 12 pounds, and that is lighter than both the M249 and M240 machine guns, which weigh 18 pounds and 28 pounds respectively.


The Sig Sauer design chambers a 6.8 x 51 mm round with a maximum chamber pressure of 80,000 pounds per square inch that extends the weapon’s range without the need for a longer barrel or heavier ammunition. That is a much higher pressure than the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO round chambered by M4 carbines and M249 machine guns, which has a maximum chamber pressure of 62,000 pounds per square inch.

Sig Sauer’s XM 250 Automatic Rifle on display during an April 20 briefing at the Pentagon on the Next Generation Squad Weapon. (Jeff Schogol/Task & Purpose)
Ian McCollum, a gun expert and host of the “Forgotten Weapons” YouTube channel, told Task & Purpose during SHOT Show 2022 that he didn’t think an infantry rifle could have a long service life if it fired such a high-pressure round.

But Sig Sauer President and CEO Ron Cohen told Task & Purpose in January that his company’s design for the Next Generation Squad Weapon could fire up to 12,000 rounds before needing to change barrels, whereas soldiers typically need to replace the barrels on their M4 carbines after firing 6,000 rounds.

Sig Sauer’s submission for both Next Generation Squad Weapon variants and ammunition was selected over a design offered by LoneStar Future Weapons, owned by True Velocity. The LoneStar design for the weapon featured a “bullpup” configuration, in which the magazine is behind the trigger control assembly, and a reciprocating barrel that moves backwards with each shot to absorb recoil.

The most innovative feature of LoneStar’s design was the composite 6.8 mm ammunition made by True Velocity, which is an average of 30% lighter than brass cartridges.

Soldiers have been waiting for five years to get their hands on the Next Generation Squad Weapon.

In May 2017, Gen. Mark Milley, then Army Chief of Staff, warned Congress that newer types of body armor sold for just $250 by “adversarial states” could stop the 5.56 mm round chambered by the U.S. military’s M4 carbines, M16 rifles, and M-249 machine guns.

After looking for a commercially available weapon to serve as an interim rifle, the Army decided in October 2017 to find a replacement for the M4 and M249.

The Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle and machine gun variants are expected to be fielded to soldiers in the “Close Combat Force,” a term that encompasses several frontline military occupational specialties including infantry, cavalry scouts, combat medics, forward observers, combat engineers, and special operations forces.

The Army expects to have a better idea this summer about how long it will take to field the Next Generation Squad Weapon to soldiers.

=============================

Now all that remains to be seen is will it actually happen?

@Milspec @Peace Lover et al.

No surprise there. Sig-Sauer offering is the most logical choice due to being the lowest risk (conventional design) thus cheaper to be widely adopted in the long run.

Here in Asia Pacific, USMC with its M27 influence still dominates here, no need to change the rifle yet for Asia Pacific countries, CMIIW

WTFAs a former end user of standard issue 5.56mm platforms I can confidently say that there is serious need for a cartridge with stronger punching power than the out of date 5.56mm

 

[schuimpjes]

WTFAs a former end user of standard issue 5.56mm platforms I can confidently say that there is serious need for a cartridge with stronger punching power than the out of date 5.56mm

Technical consideration maybe yes, but logistically that needs longer time in Asia Pacific because the USMC still using 5.56mm, which mean more supply for 5.56mm rather than .277. Doesn’t mean that US Army not operates here that countries can’t interoperable with their .277, but see the geography looks like countries here are more interoperable with USMC in wartime rather with USMC2.

About US Army here in Indonesia, yes maybe for us the US Army more active here rather than USMC that i can even imagine that they would make contingency basing here in wartime (operates below TNI task force or joint task force that led by TNI, so the US Army would be BKO’ed, for the sake of de jure non-blok). So maybe we could be the one of the countries that they gave or operates wherever the source the .277. Also SK and Japan that has US Army bases in their countries.

I bet European countries will widely used .277 early rather than any Asia Pacific countries, but my1 that could be faster if USMC choose .277 earlier than imagined.

Edit: 1. There should be no ‘my’ there. Lot of thinking that even the writing were affected lol
2. *US Army

 

[Mis_TR_Like]

Looks like .227 Fury isn't just lighter, it performs better than 7.62 in terms of velocity and energy. Mind you, even with significantly lower barrel lengths. Though it might seem small in the grand scheme of things, nations who are in the process of upgrading their small arms inventory should pay serious attention to this new round. It's better to adopt it as early as possible instead of producing/buying hundreds of thousands of rifles only to realise that they are obsolete.

 

[trishna_amrta]

Technical consideration maybe yes, but logistically that needs longer time in Asia Pacific because the USMC still using 5.56mm, which mean more supply for 5.56mm rather than .277. Doesn’t mean that US Army not operates here that countries can’t interoperable with their .277, but see the geography looks like countries here are more interoperable with USMC in wartime rather with USMC2.

I bet European countries will widely used .277 early rather than any Asia Pacific countries, but my1 that could be faster if USMC choose .277 earlier than imagined.

From how things stand today, it's only a matter of WHEN the USMC and the rest of military will adopt this new cartridge.

Looks like .227 Fury isn't just lighter, it performs better than 7.62 in terms of velocity and energy. Mind you, even with significantly lower barrel lengths. Though it might seem small in the grand scheme of things, nations who are in the process of upgrading their small arms inventory should pay serious attention to this new round. It's better to adopt it as early as possible instead of producing/buying hundreds of thousands of rifles only to realise that they are obsolete.

It's certainly an excellent idea to adopt this new cartridge as quickly as possible, but I don't see non G7 could afford to do so. From what I can see from the new cartridge design, the level of precision (tooling) & level of tolerance needed to produce this new cartridge is still beyond the industrial capability of most non-developed countries.

 

[Nilgiri]

More indepth review.....he brings up a good point imo.....as to why go for dual charging handles instead of just picking one (I generally prefer side for speed).

The SIG SPEAR has been selected as the US Army's new Service rifle. Many people have tons of questions about the SIG SPEAR especially since it’s such a relatively new and in many ways traditional system compared to some of the other competitors in the NGSW. In today’s video we delve into the SIG SPEAR and this video will likely be the first of several that explore the new rifle of the US Military.

00:00 SIG SPEAR review begins
03:06 SIG SPEAR is now adopted
04:54 SIG SPEAR Ammunition is extremely capable
07:05 SIG SPEAR Suppressor
10:27 SIG SPEAR Handguard
14:00 SIG SPEAR Controls
15:59 Problems I foresee with the SIG SPEAR
19:57 SIG SPEAR Trigger
22:23 Final Thoughts on the SIG SPEAR