Summary: The U.S. Army's Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program aims to replace the M4 carbine and M249 light machine gun with the XM7 rifle and XM250 automatic rifle, both chambered in the new 6.8mm Remington Special Purpose Cartridge.

-Sig Sauer won the $4.5 billion contract, delivering a modular firearm system that significantly improves accuracy, range, and lethality.

-Competing designs from General Dynamics and Textron featured innovative solutions, including bullpup configurations and advanced ammunition.

-With over 120,000 new weapons expected to be fielded, the NGSW marks a significant leap in U.S. Army firepower and combat readiness.

The Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) Was Designed to Replace Legacy Systems

In April 2022, the United States Army awarded firearms maker Sig Sauer a $4.5 billion contract to produce the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW), a modular firearms system that consisted of the XM7 rifle and the XM250 automatic rifle. The NGSW program was initiated to field a respective replacement for the legacy M4 carbine and M249 light machine gun, formerly designated as the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). The U.S. Army had sought to replace the legacy small arms with a new weapon that could serve as both the main battle rifle and squad automatic weapon – both chambered in the newly developed 6.8x43mm Remington Special Purpose Cartridge (6.8 SPC).

The M4 carbine, an evolution of the venerable M16 assault rifle was introduced in 1994, while the M249 had been in service since 1984. The development of a single platform to replace both small arms was seen as no small task – and was further complicated by delays brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the U.S. Army was able to conduct tests of three previously selected weapons from General Dynamics Ordnance, Sig Sauer, and Textron Systems.

The U.S. Army's goal has been to add more than 120,000 new light machine guns and rifles to the arsenal to replace the M4 and M249 in the coming years. The price tag for the first 4,000 units was estimated to be nearly $36 million according to the budget documents.

NGSW: Three Versions Considered

What was unique about the NGSW was that the three companies took vastly different approaches with their respective entries.

The Sig Sauer design was actually two versions, each based off its MCX firearms line. It features a folding stock capability along with a machine gun version with 16-inch barrel and a rifle version with 13-inch barrel. The overall design of Sig Sauer's firearm was meant to be similar enough to the legacy systems that soldiers wouldn't need additional training on the firearm – and that may have given it a significant edge over the competition.

General Dynamics opted for a more "radical" approach with a bullpup design, which is when the firearm's magazine is placed behind the pistol grip. That reduces the overall length of the weapon as the magazine is essentially in the stock, but allows for a full-length barrel. In fact, bullpups can offer longer barrels, which can improve accuracy, yet be shorter weapons overall. The General Dynamics option has a 20-inch barrel, just two inches less than the M249.

The placement of the magazine was seen to require some additional training, yet, new soldiers won't have a frame of reference to compare it to, and by some accounts changing a magazine can be accomplished faster with a bullpup design. The British Army has used the SA80/L85 Rifle, with a bullpup configuration, since 1985, and it was used in the Persian Gulf War as well as in the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War.

The Textron Systems version was notable in that it wasn't just the firearm that was completely redesigned from the ground up, but also the ammunition. While Sig Sauer took a more traditional three-piece brass case with stainless steel hard and lock washer for its ammunition, General Dynamics opted to utilize a magnum cartridge but with a composite case. Textron further took it a step further with its cased telescope ammunition that reduces the weight by using a plastic polymer to completely surround the projectile.

In addition, unlike the magazine-fed designs from both Sig Sauer and General Dynamics, the Textron System design was belt-fed – a trait that is a holdover from the M249. However, it still employed a magazine for the rifle version replacement of the M4, meaning that while there will be two variations these will be distinct to what each replaces.

As noted, it was the Sig Sauer offering that won out – perhaps again because it wasn't a radical departure from the M4 carbine design.

Yet, a Vast Improvement Suggested the Army

According to the U.S. Army following the selection of the Sig Sauer offering, "both weapons provide significant capability improvements in accuracy, range and overall lethality. They are lightweight, fire more lethal ammunition, mitigate recoil, provide improved barrel performance, and include integrated muzzle sound and flash reduction."

In addition, both the XM7 and XM250 employ the 6.8 millimeter ammunition, which was developed to utilize "government provided projectiles and vendor-designed cartridges," while the service explained that the "new ammunition includes multiple types of tactical and training rounds that increase accuracy and are more lethal against emerging threats than both the 5.56mm and 7.62mm ammunition."

The new ammunition was developed by Remington Arms in collaboration with members of the United States Army Marksman Unit and the United States Special Operations Command to replace the 5.56 NATO cartridge. It is based on the .30 Remington cartridge, and is essentially "midway" between the 5.56x45mm NATO and the 7.62x51mm NATO in bore diameter. However, it still uses the same diameter bullet as the .270 Winchester hunting cartridge.

In January 2022, the U.S. Army also awarded Winchester, the largest manufacturer of small-caliber ammunition for the U.S. military, a $20 million in cost-plus and firm-fixed-price contract to produce the 6.8mm ammunition for the NGSW.

Training Continues on NGSW

In March of this year, soldiers from the U.S. Army's famed 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles" at Fort Campbell, KY, became the first unit equipped with the NGSW.

Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment accepted the NGSW in preparation for an equipment trainer course this month. This follows troops of Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and members of 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, who each undertook New Equipment Training on the NGSW last December.

The training reportedly covered the similarities and differences between the new weapons and the legacy 5.56mm M4A1 Carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon systems, focusing on enhanced lethality. More units are expected to receive the new weapons later this year.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.

You can email the author: [email protected].