Army issues call for new Next Generation Squad Weapon prototypes

[Elderberry]

Guns.com 02/5/19 | by Chris Eger

In a move to begin to phase out its 5.56mm weapons with new 6.8mm-caliber firearms as part of a wide-ranging modernization program, the U.S. Army issued a call to interested gun makers last week.

The Prototype Project Opportunity Notice covers two distinct types of firearm: the Next Generation Squad Weapon-Rifle, a replacement for the M4/M4A1 carbine; and the Next Generation Squad Weapon-Automatic Rifle, which would take the place currently held by the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. Both would be in an XM1168 6.8mm chambering that would be up to the manufacturer to develop with ammunition industry partners.

As the Pentagon has spent the past several years brainstorming new ways to reduce the weight of man-carried small arms cartridges through everything from telescoping rounds to polymer cases, it is possible that the final 6.8mm designs favored will be much different from traditional ammunition.

Submissions from up to three manufacturers would be selected to continue to a potentially huge contract in which the winner could stand to deliver 250,000 NGSWs and 150 million rounds of ammo with the option for further contracts.

More: https://www.guns.com/news/2019/02/05/army-issues-call-for-new-next-generation-squad-weapon-prototypes

[Elderberry]

I believe the new XM1168 6.8mm cartridge will be similar to the 6.8mm Remington SPC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6.8mm_Remington_SPC

Development

The 6.8mm SPC cartridge was designed to address the deficiencies of the terminal performance of the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge currently in service with the Armed Forces of all NATO aligned countries.[7] The cartridge was the result of the Enhanced Rifle Cartridge program. The 6.8 SPC (6.8×43mm) was initially developed by MSG Steve Holland and Chris Murray, a United States Army Marksmanship Unit gunsmith,[8] to offer superior downrange lethality over the 5.56 NATO/.223 Remington in an M16 pattern service rifle with minimal loss of magazine capacity and a negligible increase in recoil.[9] The goal was to create a cartridge that would bridge the gap between 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm.

Military/law enforcement adoption

By late 2004 the 6.8×43mm SPC was said to be performing well in the field against enemy combatants in Special Operations.[7] However the cartridge was not used by conventional US military personnel. It was not adopted for widespread use due to resistance from officials.[19] The 6.8 SPC was designed for better terminal effectiveness at the shorter ranges of urban combat experienced in Iraq. When fighting in Afghanistan began to intensify, engagements began taking place at greater distances, where 6.8 SPC begins to falter. Experiments suggested that the comparatively short 6.8 mm bullets became ineffective at longer ranges.[20] In 2007, both the U.S. SOCOM and the U.S. Marine Corps decided not to field weapons chambered in 6.8 mm due to logistical and cost issues.[21] An unnamed LWRC representative said in January 2014 that the US military is once again taking a look at the 6.8 SPCII after all the commercial development in the last 10 years.[22]

While there are many rumors of evaluations of the cartridge by several major Federal and local law enforcement agencies, the US Drug Enforcement Administration has allowed individual agents to purchase the M6A2 D-DEA - which uses the 6.8mm Remington SPC - as an authorized alternative to their duty weapon. In 2010 the Jordanian state-owned arms manufacturer KADDB announced that they would be producing 6.8 mm rifles and carbines for the Jordanian Army.[23] There is also a contract between LWRC, Magpul, Alliant Techsystems and The Saudi Royal guard for around 36,000 Six8 PDWs & undisclosed amount of ATK/Federal XD68GD (90gr Gold Dot 'training' ammo) and proprietary Magpul 6.8 Pmags specifically for the LWRC Six8. See above under the subsection 'Development' Section. The 6.8 is also being produced in a Squad Automatic Weapon or SAW by U.S. Machine Gun Armory. The MGA SAWâ„¢ is fully compatible with the United States Department of Defense model designations: M249 and MK46. It is currently being shipped to US allies and is under testing with the US military.