Next Generation Squad Weapon Program

The Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program is a United States Military program created with the goal to replace the M4 Carbine, M249 SAW, and M240 machine gun as well as the 5.56mm round. Two arms manufacturers, True Velocity (earlier LoneStar Future Weapons, General Dynamics)[1][2] and Sig Sauer, Inc., are taking part in the program. Other defense companies: Textron Systems, FN-America, and PCP Tactical were removed from the program between September of 2019 and November of 2021. The program is expected to cost $10 million dollars in the first year, and $150 million the next. [3][4][5][6]

History
A US Army rifleman firing the M4 carbine at the Great Plains Joint Training Center’s small arms range in Salina, Kansas.

The NGSW program began in 2017, after Congress began testing the M4 and the 5.56×45mm NATO round for modern-day effectiveness. They concluded that the M4 Carbine was still favored by troops, and also performed well under stress. Problems such as feeding issues were fixed by using different ammunition types and magazines. Despite this, the M4 still had difficulty penetrating the types of bulletproof vest used by Russian and Chinese troops, especially at longer ranges. The program also took into account the US military's experiences in the Middle East, where guerrillas had used weapons such as the AKM with larger rounds and higher effective distances. As such, Congress began looking for replacements for the M4.

Requirements

The US Army gave out a series of requirements for prototype NGSW weapons.[4][5][7]

Rifle (NGSW-R) Requirements:

  • Ability to utilize 6.8mm round.

Support Weapon (NGSW-AR) Requirements:

  • A maximum length of 35 inches (89 centimeters)
  • A maximum mass of 12 pounds (5.4kg, including attachments)
  • Ability to suppress targets from 3,900 feet (1,200 meters), and ability to accurately fire on targets 2,000 feet (600 meters) away.
  • Able to utilize Small Arms Fire Control Systems.

Fire Control Systems

The program also includes development of new fire control systems, able to be utilized on small arms weapons of the NGSW program. Two companies have entered the competition, Vortex Optics and L3Harris Technologies.[8]

Competitors

Six competitors were originally entered into the competition, however only two remain.

Weapons (currently in evaluation):

  • True Velocity (earlier LoneStar Future Weapons, General Dynamics)[9][10][11]: RM-277R bullpup rifle and RM-277AR machine gun utilizing True Velocity .277 TVCM polymer cased cartridge
  • SIG Sauer, Inc: SIG MCX Spear rifle (NGSW-R) and SIG MG-6.8 belt-fed machine gun (NGSW-AR) utilizing custom SIG 6.8 Fury brass-steel hybrid cartridges

Weapons (failed):

The rounds will be made to utilize government-issued 6.8mm general purpose projectiles.

Fire Control Optics:

Both submissions include integrated fire control systems utilizing built-in laser rangefinders, direct view optics with magnification, digital overlay and a fully housed ballistic calculation suite.

See Also

References
  1. https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/04/14/lonestar-future-weapons-forms-strategic-alliance-with-true-velocity/
  2. https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/11/10/true-velocity-acquires-lonestar-future-weapons/
  3. Cox, Matthew (2018-12-20). "Army to Seek Prototypes for M4/M249 SAW Replacements in Early 2019". Military.com. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  4. Woody, Christopher. "The Army wants to ditch the M249 SAW and give the infantry more firepower". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  5. "Army is saying goodbye to the M249 Squad Automatic Rifle after thirty years". popularmilitary.com. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  6. "Is Textron Out of the NGSW Program? -". The Firearm Blog. 2021-11-18. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  7. "Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW)". USAASC. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
  8. "This could be the Army's next-generation rifle optic of choice". Task & Purpose. 2021-02-02. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  9. https://soldiersystems.net/2021/09/01/us-army-grants-ngsw-novation-from-general-dynamics-ots-inc-to-lonestar-future-weapons/
  10. https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/04/14/lonestar-future-weapons-forms-strategic-alliance-with-true-velocity/
  11. https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/11/10/true-velocity-acquires-lonestar-future-weapons/
  12. https://soldiersystems.net/2020/03/10/the-desert-tech-next-generation-squad-weapons-submissions/
  13. https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/06/14/details-about-next-generation-squad-automatic-rifle-competition-contestants/
  14. https://www.pcpammo.com/
  15. https://www.all4shooters.com/en/shooting/pro-zone/fn-america-will-produce-two-prototypes-for-the-us-army/
  16. https://finabel.org/ngsw-future-infantry-weapons/
  17. https://fnamerica.com/press-releases/fn-selected-produce-two-prototype-options-u-s-army-next-generation-squad-automatic-rifle-program/
  18. https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2021/11/18/textron-ngsw-program/
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