SIG Wins US Army Next Generation Squad Weapon Contract

[DamonL]

I think the development of the 5.56 cartridge is pretty mature with M995 Black tip. They had to get a new cartridge to reach the next level of performance. Unfortunately, that meant a heavier rifle. I think the whole package would be a great Squad Designated Marksman Rifle.

[DamonL]

Is this the NGSW in 7.62? The M110a1.

https://www.armyrecognition.com/weap...r_us_army.html


@JRB You are right. The M4 isn't going anywhere.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/...eral-says.html

[TiroFijo]

I've played theoretically with some high BC (mostly) steel core .278 bullets and 3,000 fps muzzle velocity... impact velocity is around 2,560 fps at 250 m. Coupled with a high density/hardness core or front section, is this enough to defeat level IV ballistic plates hitting more or less squarely?

[JRB]

Is this the NGSW in 7.62? The M110a1.

https://www.armyrecognition.com/weap...r_us_army.html


@JRB You are right. The M4 isn't going anywhere.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/...eral-says.html

I'd take anything published on military.com with a grain of salt, and FWIW that article is from June of last year. A lot can happen in a year.

To that end, though, if some emergent and widespread threat pops up that the M4/M249 simply couldn't handle, and effectively addressing that threat required a wide-scale push toward a different ammo & weapon system entirely, we'd probably see those changes happen very rapidly.

But insofar as what this new SIG weapon and contract means, and the threat it's seeking to counter, the SIG stuff is going to stay small-scale/secret squirrel and the M4/M249 will be sticking around on the large scale for quite some time to come.

[Thy.Will.Be.Done]

Popped my SIG SAUER cherry this afternoon on a long time coming P365, should I buy the new NGSW next? I don't know how I'm going to afford that price tag but they sure look nice, money not being a thing I'd probably get one.

[TGS]

Is this the NGSW in 7.62? The M110a1.

https://www.armyrecognition.com/weap...r_us_army.html

Nah. The M110A1 is a "legacy" system that is separate from NGSW.

[Moshjath]

The Army is in a buying mood for the close combat force. Look at our kit- MSV Plate Carriers with shooter cut plates, IHPS helmets to replace the ACH, hell, the PSQ-42’s dual tubes that we fielded to replace all our PVS-14’s make the NGSW price tag look quaint. Not discussing the inherent quality of any of these, just bringing it up to point out that nearly every major piece of equipment that we are issued as Infantry has changed out since the mid 00’s. I would not be surprised if the M5 and M250 show up in the majority of IBCT arms rooms replacing M4s and M249s quicker than this thread predicts.

[JRB]

The Army is in a buying mood for the close combat force. Look at our kit- MSV Plate Carriers with shooter cut plates, IHPS helmets to replace the ACH, hell, the PSQ-42’s dual tubes that we fielded to replace all our PVS-14’s make the NGSW price tag look quaint. Not discussing the inherent quality of any of these, just bringing it up to point out that nearly every major piece of equipment that we are issued as Infantry has changed out since the mid 00’s. I would not be surprised if the M5 and M250 show up in the majority of IBCT arms rooms replacing M4s and M249s quicker than this thread predicts.

IBCT's are definitely not all of big Army, and that 'buying mood' makes sense given current world events realigning us to get spicy with near-peer elements.
Ya'll are basically the playtesters for all that stuff for the next few years.

We pogue-ass REMF super fobbits along with a lot of more mechanized combat elements are not likely to get the spicy new-new shit anytime soon, again, unless a significant emergent threat pops up that makes the new stuff into a 'time now' RFI force-wide.

[DamonL]

Nah. The M110A1 is a "legacy" system that is separate from NGSW.

I was joking. Should have put a smiley there. It just strikes me that the legacy SDMR is similar to the new NGSW.

[JSGlock34]

They've already stated they do not intend to issue the NGSW to the entire Army, and that the 5.56mm weapons (M4/M249) will continue to serve. The NGSW will be issued to "close combat forces".

The weapon is designed and aimed at close combat forces. That includes infantrymen but also cavalry scouts, combat engineers, forward observers and combat medics, said Brig. Gen. Larry Q. Burris, Jr. director of the Cross-Functional Team-Soldier Lethality and Infantry School Commandant. There are no current plans to issue the NGSW to non-close combat soldiers. Soldiers in fields other than those listed or not assigned to a direct combat unit will continue to use the M4 options and the M249 SAW, Burris said. And if their commands choose, special operations forces and combat arms Marines will also be included in fielding plans, officials said.

Now, I'd expect that if the NGSW proves successful, after a number of years there will be calls to "pure-fleet" the service to simplify logistics, training, etc. But the initial fielding plan means that many more M4s will remain in service.