New weapons for the US Army

Samples participating in the NGSW competition. Shown above is the winning rifle and machine gun from SIG Sauer.

For the past several years, the US Army has been conducting the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program. Its goal is to create and adopt a new rifle system with improved fire characteristics. The competitive stage of the program ended not long ago, and it will soon move to the next stage. In the coming months, the Pentagon is going to begin operational testing of the promising complex.

The competition and its results

Work on the “platoon commander” project weapons next generation" NGSW launched in mid-2017 based on the results of a capabilities analysis. The US Army decided that it needed a new rifle complex, including a promising high-power cartridge, an automatic rifle and a light machine gun for it, as well as various sighting devices and accessories. The main requirements for the NGSW concerned firepower - the weapon had to hit manpower using modern means of defense.

Seven American and foreign weapons companies joined the NGSW competition. Independently or in collaboration with their subcontractors, they proposed several options for a promising cartridge and weapons for it. In 2019-20 The customer studied the presented projects and chose the three most successful ones.

Shooting systems from SIG Sauer, General Dynamics and Textron Systems made it to the finals of the competition. At the beginning of 2021, the Pentagon conducted comparative tests of three rifles and three machine guns chambered for different cartridges and with different sighting devices. Based on the results of these events, a project was selected for further development.

XM7 rifle at the shooting range

In April 2022, it was officially announced that the winner of the NGSW competition was the project of SIG Sauer. Its complex in the form of the SIG Fury cartridge (6,8 x 51 mm), the XM5 MCX-SPEAR rifle and the XM250 SIG-LMG machine gun showed the best performance and firing characteristics with minimal technical risks. At the same time, the development company received a starting contract to complete the project and prepare for the production of new weapons. Only $20,4 million was allocated for these activities.

In January 2023, the Army decided to change the advanced rifle index. Product XM5 was renamed XM7. The fact is that Colt already has an M5 rifle, and the coincidence of designations could backfire. The machine gun and cartridge from the NGSW, in turn, retain their original names.

Plans for the future

By the beginning of 2022, the promising complex from SIG Sauer had passed several stages of testing, during which it confirmed the design characteristics and showed advantages over competitors. Various training events are currently being conducted with the participation of personnel from different structures and units. In the near future, the complex will be brought to a new stage of testing.

At the moment, the development company's task is to produce a batch of 25 XM7 rifles and 15 XM250 machine guns, as well as a large number of Fury cartridges. Apparently, during the production of these products, a serial line is being developed, which will be fully launched in the foreseeable future. The current order is required to be completed no later than the beginning of the 2024 calendar year.

A characteristic feature of all samples of the NGSW program is a standard muffler

Pre-production rifles, machine guns and cartridges are intended for trial use by the troops. They will be transferred to one of the units of the ground forces for development, use and use at training grounds. Judging by the quantity ordered, only a few infantry platoons will receive the “next generation weapon”. The military personnel of these units will have to evaluate weapons and ammunition from the point of view of the end user.

Simultaneously with operational testing, SIG Sauer will continue to assemble new batches of weapons. It is reported that by the third quarter of 2024 it will be possible to transfer the first company or battalion to the new models. At this stage, experimental military operation of the XM7, XM250 and Fury will be completed. In the absence of serious complaints and the need for improvement, the complex will be accepted into service. They will also give permission for the full-scale production of weapons and ammunition.

Production issues

The basic contract between the Pentagon and SIG Sauer provides for the supply of a limited number of pre-production products. At the same time, new agreements on full-scale serial production of weapons and ammunition should appear in the near future. The army has not yet disclosed the exact plans of this kind, but the general order of numbers is already known.

At the moment, we are talking about the purchase of 107 thousand XM7 rifles, 13 thousand XM250 machine guns and millions of 6,8 x 51 mm cartridges. Due to this, part of the needs of the ground forces and some other structures will be covered. The possible pace of deliveries and the timing of their completion remain unknown. Perhaps the customer and the performers have not even identified them yet.

XM250 machine gun

It is assumed that the army will be able to order additional NGSW complexes in the future. In addition, interest from other US security agencies and obtaining export contracts cannot be ruled out. According to optimistic estimates, in the coming years SIG Sauer and subcontractors may receive orders for a total of 250 thousand units. weapons and tens or hundreds of millions of cartridges.

According to current plans, XM7 rifles and XM250 machine guns will be produced only by the development company. For the foreseeable future, it will also remain the only manufacturer of SIG Fury cartridges. However, in 2025-26. Winchester will have to launch its production of ammunition. It recently received a contract to prepare production facilities at the Lake City plant in Independence, Missouri. In the medium term, this company will be able to become the main manufacturer of the new cartridge and reduce the burden on SIG Sauer.

Rearmament program

The Pentagon plans to purchase at least 107 thousand XM7 rifles and 13 thousand XM250 machine guns. With the help of these weapons they want to re-equip a significant part of the ground forces and thereby increase their fire capabilities. However, the planned number of NGSW complexes will not be enough to completely re-equip the ground forces, national guard units, etc.

This problem will probably be solved by placing additional orders. The possibility of producing up to 250 thousand units has already been announced. new weapons for different operators, but this will not cover all needs. Accordingly, we can expect further changes in plans and the order of new large quantities of weapons.

The possibility of using transitional solutions and temporary measures is also being considered. Thus, a project is being developed to rebuild the M240 machine gun for a new 6,8 x 51 mm cartridge. The new ammunition is similar in geometry to the standard 7,62 x 51 mm, but has different energy and internal ballistics. Its use requires replacing the barrel and reconfiguring the main mechanisms, and the difference in the characteristics of the cartridges does not guarantee success.

Desires and reality

Thus, the US Army continues work on the NGSW program and makes new plans, showing enviable optimism. It has already carried out the competitive part of the program and found the most successful version of the rifle complex, and is now preparing for the trial operation of small-scale products in the army. At the same time, measures are being taken to prepare full-scale serial production for the purpose of future rearmament of combat units and formations.

The trial operation, which is scheduled to begin in the coming months, is of great importance for the NGSW program as a whole. It will show the potential of the machine gun, rifle and ammunition from the end user's point of view. And the further fate of the shooting complex from SIG Sauer depends on these events - it will be admitted to a full-fledged series or sent for revision. It is still unknown what the results of the entire set of tests will be. The overall complexity of the project, the specifics of the applied technical solutions and other factors can lead to any results.

Comments

[Vladimir_2U]

Against the backdrop of the explosive growth in the use of combat drones for various purposes, the program looks like some kind of fuss.

[cold wind]

One does not cancel the other, but complements it.

Photos of the 7th Regiment, 1st Marine Division's Apollo Shield exercise, featuring Marine Corps Warfare Laboratory technology and expertise at Twentynine Palms, California.

During the exercises, the use of FPV drones, the use of quadcopters, including for dropping ammunition, anti-drone guns and portable electronic warfare systems developed by the laboratory, as well as the Drone-40 loitering munition developed by DefendTex, were tested.

[Vladimir_2U]

Quote from cold wind

One does not cancel the other, but complements it.

If funds are available, it may be.

Quote from cold wind

During the exercises, the use of FPV drones was practiced

What place is there for a new caliber in these exercises?

[PROXOR]

The SVO shows that drones have firmly taken a place in the combat formations of the army, but the outcome of battles is decided by the fighter in the trenches with a machine gun.

[Vladimir_2U]

Quote: PROXOR

The SVO shows that drones have firmly taken a place in the combat formations of the army, but the outcome of battles is decided by the fighter in the trenches with a machine gun.

If he was not buried by artillery in this trench, because enemy drones were hanging overhead. And by the way, what’s so bad about a modern machine gun at such a short distance?

[Sergey Aleksandrovich]

It would be more correct to say that in order to combat drones, such an outlandish thing as a “smart sight” should be developed. Which looks almost useless in shooting combat, but can be of great help in shooting small and low-altitude drones.
Accordingly, machine-gun DBMs should receive an automated drive and fire control system on a large scale. And together with a machine gun, you need a grenade launcher with shrapnel or even grapeshot ammunition.

[Consultant]

Quote: Vladimir_2U

And by the way, what’s so bad about a modern machine gun at such a short distance?

The Kalashnikov assault rifle sometimes no longer has enough armor penetration. Protection classes have grown.

[Ross xnumx]

Thus, the US Army continues work on the NGSW program and makes new plans, showing enviable optimism.

And there in the United States there are complete optimists who assume that they will incite conflicts around the world; to fight with the wrong hands, but with American weapons, which will demonstrate their “unsurpassed” characteristics at shooting ranges, training grounds and exhibitions.
What is required from small arms? Reliability, range and accuracy of fire, the ability to SHOOT AT THE TARGET in any conditions.
Excuse me, is this weapon capable of firing if thrown into a puddle?
* * *
To be honest, I don’t care about all American developments. I want Russian weapons to be what a specific category of military personnel requires. And Russian industry not only strives for this, but has achieved it.

[Arkadich]

There's no need to throw your weapon into a puddle.
You are too categorical.

Reliability, range and accuracy of fire, the ability to SHOOT AT THE TARGET in any conditions.

Without belittling these requirements, I will still remind you of one more requirement to hit the enemy. If your cartridge cannot cause damage to it, the reliability of your weapon is worthless.

[Ross xnumx]

Quote: Arkadich

There's no need to throw your weapon into a puddle.
You are too categorical.

Have you ever tried to lie down on the ground and try to dig in without getting your hands dirty?
Stop spreading demagoguery around a dry battlefield with equipped trenches and lawn grass.
We could have it like this:

[Victor Leningradets]

Yuri Vasilievich!
So we will return to the three-line, it is more reliable, longer-range and superior in combat accuracy to all 5,45-mm products of the Kalashnikov concern.

[t7310]

Quote: Victor Leningradets

Yuri Vasilievich!
So we will return to the three-line, it is more reliable, longer-range and superior in combat accuracy to all 5,45-mm products of the Kalashnikov concern.

Well, the simple truths are that they strive for some kind of compromise: convenience, efficiency, lethality, reliability, rate of fire, simplicity, weight, cost, I think the three-ruler in size and rate of fire does not pass, and the three-ruler has a better chance of being suitable for snipers

[Alexey RA]

Quote: Victor Leningradets

So we will return to the three-line, it is more reliable, longer-range and superior in combat accuracy to all 5,45-mm products of the Kalashnikov concern.

Mwa-ha-ha... immediately after the transition to the 5,56 mm caliber, the American infantry began to demand the return of 7,62x51.

[MstislavHrabr]

If you have a good sniper scope attached to it... Then the technical line will give you an even better head start...

[Setavr]

The Americans came to the same conclusion as the USSR during Afghanistan, only 35 years later. 5.45x39 is not enough, 7.62x39 and even more so in such BD theaters. That’s why they created the 6x49 and tested machine guns, machine guns and even semi-automatic sniper rifles for it. The tests were successful, but the collapse of the USSR buried everything.
There are a lot of articles about this on Topware.
Not giving a damn about something just because it's American is not very smart.

[Alexey RA]

Quote: Setavr

Not giving a damn about something just because it's American is not very smart.

Just with the words "American program to develop a new rifle system with improved firing characteristics"People's first reaction is:

Because the development of a new rifle for infantry in the United States is an endless story, 60 years of successive programs (SPIW, ACR, OICW, etc.), which gave the output... nothing but spent budgets.

[Escariot]

Quote: Alexey RA

Quote: Setavr

Not giving a damn about something just because it's American is not very smart.

Just with the words "American program to develop a new rifle system with improved firing characteristics"People's first reaction is:

Because the development of a new rifle for infantry in the United States is an endless story, 60 years of successive programs (SPIW, ACR, OICW, etc.), which gave the output... nothing but spent budgets.

This time, the Americans did not reinvent the wheel and limited themselves to switching to an almost rifle cartridge (in fact, a return to the M14) with modern technologies. And what’s more, this rifle has ALREADY been adopted for service and will clearly be available to the troops in commercial quantities.

[Alexey RA]

Quote from Escariot

This time, the Americans did not reinvent the wheel and limited themselves to switching to an almost rifle cartridge (in fact, a return to the M14) with modern technologies.

And now the infantry will whine that the cartridge is too powerful and heavy, which is why the carryable ammunition is too small.

[Escariot]

Quote: Alexey RA

Quote from Escariot

This time, the Americans did not reinvent the wheel and limited themselves to switching to an almost rifle cartridge (in fact, a return to the M14) with modern technologies.

And now the infantry will whine that the cartridge is too powerful and heavy, which is why the carryable ammunition is too small.

Right. They will whine. But accuracy at distances over 400 meters will become acceptable. The sighting system with a laser rangefinder will allow you to hit targets at a distance of up to 800 meters.

[Ross xnumx]

Quote: Setavr

Not giving a damn about something just because it's American is not very smart.

And flaunting what is American as something super perfect and unsurpassed, while keeping silent about the presence of Russian developments, is sabotage and escalating defeatism. Do you know what defeatism is?

 Show / Hide text

I understand when there is a demonstration of something that others do not and cannot have...
What is the point, for example, that Russia has a development called “Coalition-SV”? Exactly the same progress comes from the fact that the Americans have something, even if it is really better, and not promoted by arms companies and Hollywood for the purpose of sales...
We cannot see him, like ears without a mirror.

[Eug]

As far as I know, in the situation with the 6x49, they did not find an acceptable option to avoid rapid overheating and associated barrel wear.

[Escariot]

Quote: Eug

As far as I know, in the situation with the 6x49, they did not find an acceptable option to avoid rapid overheating and associated barrel wear.

The Americans believed that in a shooting battle, after a couple of thousand shots, either the fighter would be killed, or he would lose his rifle, or he would complete the combat mission and be withdrawn to the rear where repairs could be made. Well, for everyday service, Sig shot down a “training” cartridge with degraded armor penetration, but it does not damage the barrel. And of course, these are the weapons of first-line soldiers. The rest will be left with the M16

[huggi]

I propose to return the three-ruler. It’s just “Reliability, range and accuracy of fire, the ability to SHOOT AT THE TARGET in any conditions.” Even better than the Kalashoids.

[Alexey RA]

Quote from Huggie

I propose to return the three-ruler. It’s just “Reliability, range and accuracy of fire, the ability to SHOOT AT THE TARGET in any conditions.”

Your rifle is a cool spear with the ability to shoot. ©

[Victor Leningradets]

Thank you, Kirill, for the article.
The developments are interesting and very revealing. In fact, more than a century ago, the 6,5 x 57 cartridge was developed by the gunsmith, author of the first combat automatic rifle, V.G. Fedorov. And through a long process of evolution, the Americans (I suspect we will soon) came to this optimum. Of course, this is a new level of technology, but the principle of sufficient mass/caliber of a bullet with maximum flatness at a distance of 800 m has been preserved. I wonder if there will be a reincarnation of water-cooled barrels for machine guns.

[Escariot]

Quote: Victor Leningradets

Thank you, Kirill, for the article.
The developments are interesting and very revealing. In fact, more than a century ago, the 6,5 x 57 cartridge was developed by the gunsmith, author of the first combat automatic rifle, V.G. Fedorov. And through a long process of evolution, the Americans (I suspect we will soon) came to this optimum. Of course, this is a new level of technology, but the principle of sufficient mass/caliber of a bullet with maximum flatness at a distance of 800 m has been preserved. I wonder if there will be a reincarnation of water-cooled barrels for machine guns.

Shooting at 800 meters from an open sight from a semi-automatic rifle by a line infantryman is hardly realistic, especially at that technological level.

[Victor Leningradets]

Quote: Shooting at 800 meters from an open sight from a semi-automatic rifle by a line infantryman is hardly realistic, especially at that technological level.
At that time, the practice was to fire in batches at distant targets by units (squad, platoon) in the hope of hitting due to the mass numbers. In reality, the requirement for maximum flatness at 800 m provides the smallest dispersion in a unit’s salvo based on the experience of the Russo-Japanese War (shelling of enemy trenches). At a distance of up to 400 m with such ballistics it is possible to fire without missing.

[rotmistr60]

Quote: Arkadich

If your cartridge cannot cause damage to it, the reliability of your weapon is worthless.

Why then design weapons for such a cartridge? Today, weapons, for example in Russia, are even created for cartridges that have not previously been used in our country, but have good characteristics. This applies to pistols, submachine guns (9x19 Parabellum, 9x21 Russian) and assault rifles chambered for NATO. The creation of new types of small arms is typical for all countries with such capabilities.

[Arkadich]

Means of defense also tend to develop; there is an eternal struggle between sword and shield.
Weapons for imported ammunition are created mainly for import and partly to solve special problems. tasks.

[Kolin]

The barrels will burn, 1000 shots and change.

[Escariot]

Quote: Kolin

The barrels will burn, 1000 shots and change.

Actually, now they are designed for 2000 shots. But this is precisely with a “reinforced” cartridge with a steel bottom. Paired with it is a “training” cartridge made of brass. With it, rifles should not have problems with barrel survivability.

[Escariot]

Article water by water. What kind of cartridge? What kind of rifle? Can not understand anything.
6.8x51 Fury is basically the good old 7.62x51 NATO on steroids. Record pressure levels required strengthening of the case bottom and shortened the life of the barrel. As a result, with a smaller bullet, we obtained excellent (for a linear rifle) indicators of flatness and armor penetration. However, shooting bursts from such weapons is still a pleasure. Plus, there is a super cool sighting system with a laser range finder, storing targets and exchanging data with neighbors and the commander, and even with a thermal imager in its latest iteration.
Bloggers who have held the rifle (its semi-automatic version) in their hands note good performance, moderate recoil (on a lightweight cartridge), a good silencer and, of course, the sighting system. However, the downsides: 20 rounds of ammunition, heavy weight, unbalanced.

[Owl]

They (the Americans) are very progmatic and installing a tactical silencer and a collimator sight as standard on most small arms should be a guideline for us.

[Glory1974]

the shortcomings of the 5,45 (5,56) caliber have been known since the 80s. The solution was determined at the same time: increase to 6,0-6,45-6,8. The USSR also developed cartridges 6,0 and 6,45. The collapse of the Union buried the development, and the United States also postponed its work. Now the situation has required the revival of these developments.
It is inevitable that we will follow this path. Modern body armor 5,45 does not penetrate. If earlier they said that a lot of 5,45 ammunition has been accumulated and it is unprofitable to change them. Now it’s possible.

[Escariot]

Quote: glory1974

the shortcomings of the 5,45 (5,56) caliber have been known since the 80s. The solution was determined at the same time: increase to 6,0-6,45-6,8. The USSR also developed cartridges 6,0 and 6,45. The collapse of the Union buried the development, and the United States also postponed its work. Now the situation has required the revival of these developments.
It is inevitable that we will follow this path. Modern body armor 5,45 does not penetrate. If earlier they said that a lot of 5,45 ammunition has been accumulated and it is unprofitable to change them. Now it’s possible.

Changing caliber is VERY expensive. The United States has now chosen an intermediate solution, distributing these rifles to the first line infantry, and leaving the M16 to tankers, artillerymen and other cooks.

[Glory1974]

the shortcomings of the 5,45 (5,56) caliber have been known since the 80s. The solution was determined at the same time: increase to 6,0-6,45-6,8. The USSR also developed cartridges 6,0 and 6,45. The collapse of the Union buried the development, and the United States also postponed its work. Now the situation has required the revival of these developments.
It is inevitable that we will follow this path. Modern body armor 5,45 does not penetrate. If earlier they said that a lot of 5,45 ammunition has been accumulated and it is unprofitable to change them. Now it’s possible.

[Born]

What kind of article is this? It feels like the neural network was writing in tandem with Google translator))

[KSVK]

Quote from Escariot

This time, the Americans did not reinvent the wheel and limited themselves to switching to an almost rifle cartridge (in fact, a return to the M14) with modern technologies.

I'm afraid you're a little wrong. 6,8x51 is still closer to 6,5x51 (Creedmor) than to the good old 7,62 NATO (7,62x51). And the Creedmor is a very good cartridge. Compared to 7,62, it gives better flatness, longer range and better accuracy. All other things being equal, of course. And taking into account the ability of the Americans to make consistently high-quality barrels, as well as the presence of VERY thermally stable powders such as varget, which, by the way, is suitable specifically for this cartridge, they turned out to be a really good shooter. Moreover, logistics will be simplified due to the transition to a single cartridge. And our gentlemen and comrades from the GRAU should think about retaliatory actions, instead of cutting the budget on all sorts of special forces cadavers such as 12,7x55 and 9x21.

Quote from Escariot

And what’s more, this rifle has ALREADY been adopted for service and will clearly be available to the troops in commercial quantities.

But here you seem to be right. And this is bad news. The appearance of modern weapons from the enemy is always unpleasant.

[Conjurer]

It's cool that the competition was won by a company whose rifle and machine gun are the same only in color. This is understandable - the requirements for the weapons of an infantryman and a machine gunner are so different that it is impossible to combine them in a single design. By the way, the barrel length of this rifle is so short that it is not even a carbine; I would not be surprised if it corresponds to the barrel length of our machine gun. That is, the Americans are also switching to machine guns, although they are trying to bubble.
As for the rest, this is the next stage of cutting the dough - the rearmament of an entire army is good money on kickbacks. Why did they switch to 5.56? There was a lot of enthusiastic foam and self-PR from them back then - now we will be the coolest with pockets full of advantages, although initially it was clear that the bullet was too light and poor at any significant distances both in penetration and accuracy. And the infantryman not only shoots point-blank in a trench, he also needs to hit the enemy from cover at a distance.
Now a step back, and again the same self-PR.

[Escariot]

Quote: Conjurer

It's cool that the competition was won by a company whose rifle and machine gun are the same only in color. This is understandable - the requirements for the weapons of an infantryman and a machine gunner are so different that it is impossible to combine them in a single design. By the way, the barrel length of this rifle is so short that it is not even a carbine; I would not be surprised if it corresponds to the barrel length of our machine gun. That is, the Americans are also switching to machine guns, although they are trying to bubble.
As for the rest, this is the next stage of cutting the dough - the rearmament of an entire army is good money on kickbacks. Why did they switch to 5.56? There was a lot of enthusiastic foam and self-PR from them back then - now we will be the coolest with pockets full of advantages, although initially it was clear that the bullet was too light and poor at any significant distances both in penetration and accuracy. And the infantryman not only shoots point-blank in a trench, he also needs to hit the enemy from cover at a distance.
Now a step back, and again the same self-PR.

This is how the world changes. In the 60s, the United States generally had many different ideas for all sorts of futuristic gizmos, including plasma guns. And until all this happiness came into operation, some kind of temporary replacement for the unsuccessful M14 was required. So they chose the AR-15, which was already in service with the Air Force airfield security. Well, then all these promising projects slowly fizzled out. And in truth they say that there is nothing more permanent than temporary.
However, times are changing, and now the United States has the opportunity to equip each rifle with an optical sight, which greatly increases accuracy, + there are many targets in body armor. So we decided to return to the rifle cartridge.

[AlexSam]

Do you know what makes Americans most happy? That a sufficient number of competitors are participating in the competition. How can you not remember our competitions, where brilliant designers and their schools took part with unique solutions for both weapons themselves and ammunition for them... Now (from now on and always) a previously known winner (Izhevsk residents) will take part in our competitions extra (Kovrovites), because the competition cannot have one participant. Both 5.45 and 7.62 will not go away, because so many of their reserves have been produced that they will be enough for a war with all of NATO.

[Ivan Seversky]

The XM250 machine gun looks good. I believe it will definitely replace both the M60 and M249.

The XM7 carbine is not a clear solution. It’s understandable to want to make a weapon that will allow you to fully realize all the capabilities of a smart sight, but an additional 1.5 kg. the mass of the weapon and the 1.5 weight of the cartridge are disadvantages.
I think that in desert areas the XM7 has very great advantages, in temperate latitudes the advantages are smoothed out, and in the jungle the M4 will be much more convenient.
The solution may be simple: machine gunners switch to a new cartridge, and for first-line shooters leave two sets of weapons, depending on the theater of operations.
It is natural for us to change tires twice a year, for the soldiers of the future, to change the main small arms - against the background of other expenses for the army, the need to have two sets of weapons will not be a significant burden.

[goose]

Quote: Setavr

The tests were successful, but the collapse of the USSR buried everything.

Well, not really, but they made microwaves for this caliber. But it’s still unclear why they didn’t take the design of the 6.5x50 Arisaka cartridge, remove the welt, trim the sleeve a little and change bullets with more modern aerodynamics and structure. We could have saved some money.