There’s a new army rifle in town because Sig Sauer was just awarded the contract to produce the M4 replacement. This new military rifle and M4 carbine successor has been in the works for a long time, and competition between several weapons contractors was heated, but the new U.S. standard issue rifle has been chosen.
The New MIlitary Rifle and M4 Replacement
There are two versions of this Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW). The first is the rifle variant, called the XM5 Rifle, and the other is the XM250 Automatic Rifle. The XM250 is designed specifically to replace the M249 SAW and M240 machine gun.
Additionally, there’s a civilian model that’s dubbed the Sig Sauer MCX Spear.
Sig Sauer M4 Replacement
So what is replacing the M4? This NGSW or “new army M4,” is a product of years of research and development. Its production came out of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and lessons we’ve learned from the battlefields there.
One of those lessons is that our adversaries are becoming better equipped. They have more advanced body armor that successfully guards against lighter caliber rifles like the M4 and the SAW.
The XM5 and XM250 will use a 6.8mm cartridge, which is a little heavier than the 5.56mm cartridge currently in use by the M4 and SAW. This allows for longer distance and higher penetrating power, both of which are necessary on an evolving battlefield. Not only that, these new higher-powered weapons will be more accurate than the 7.62mm cartridge used by the M20 machine gun.
Testing for the Sig Sauer New Army Rifle
Sig Sauer was awarded a ten-year contract by the Army for the development of the XM5 and XM250. The manufacturer put the weapons through a 27-month prototyping program. The program involved hands-on evaluations by hundreds of military personnel, including Soldiers, Marines, and Special Forces.
Reports were drawn up with multiple data points from deep dives into future-proofing new military capabilities. The Small Arms Ammunition Configuration Study, which settled on the 6.8mm bullet, provided a large part of the guidance. The latest developments and direction of defense tech from geopolitcal adversaries like Russia and China were combed through carefully to ensure that the Army’s new M4 would be able to counter them effectively.
Certain criteria were defined for the winning bid, governing features related to distance, recoil, weight, lethality, and more.
In 2017, there were multiple companies competing for the contract: General Dynamics Ordnance, FN America, Textron Systems, Tactical Systems, and Sig Sauer. Many of these prototypes were top choices that mimicked the user experience and functionality of current standard issue armaments, like the Textron Systems M4 replacement. Textron made it into the later rounds of the competition with its rifle that utilized a polymer casing to reduce overall weight.
The same year the competition for the NGSW rifle began, Sig Sauer won the contract bid for the production of the XM17 Modular Handgun System. The XM17 replaced the then-standard-issue M9 pistol, which was in use for 25 years.
Sig Sauer New Army Rifle Enhancements
Not only is the new military rifle to replace the M4 completely badass, but it’s also coming with its own high-tech accessories.
Vortex Optix subsidiary Sheltered Wings was awarded a 10-year contract worth $2.7 billion to produce the next generation of NGSW fire control. The XM157 Fire Control optic offers something straight out of science fiction – computer-assisted shooting. So far, that kind of technology hasn’t been available outside of ground vehicle platforms like the Abrams tank and Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
A number of additional advanced technologies are packed into the new optic, including an atmospheric sensor suite, infrared aiming lasers, and a ballistic calculator.
The M4 Replacement Going Forward
Sig Sauer’s initial delivery order is worth $20.4 million. The 2023 fiscal budget for the Army calls for 16,348 rifles, 1,704 automatic rifles, and 17,164 fire control modules.
The “X” in the XM5 and XM250 will be replaced based on standard Army naming conventions once the rifle is in the field. The new M4 replacement will be issued to the majority of close combat forces and Special Forces personnel.
All general purpose forces are still expected to use the M4 until further notice. The Marines are also in line to receive a supply of the next generation XM5 and XM250 for their close combat forces.