SIG Sauer sweeps up next-gen US infantry weapon deals
The US Army chose the Sig Sauer MCX SPEAR design for its Next Generation Squad Weapon to replace the M4A1 rifle. (Photo: Sig Sauer)
After 27 months of tests and evaluations, the US Army has chosen the XM250 light machine gun and XM5 rifle as two of its Next Generation Squad Weapons.
SIG Sauer has won the competition to provide the US Army with a new rifle and automatic weapon in its Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) programme.
Under a ten-year contract with an initial delivery order value of $20.4 million, SIG Sauer will provide its SIG-LMG (XM250) light machine gun and SIG MCX-SPEAR (XM5) rifle, with SIG SLX suppressors as standard and 6.8mm SIG FURY hybrid ammunition.
The contract award, announced by the US Army on 19 April, followed a 27-month prototyping and testing phase involving US Army, USMC and SOF personnel.
‘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,’ the US Army noted in a statement.
SIG Sauer previously won the sidearm contract under NGSW in 2017, providing its M17 and M18 pistols to replace the Beretta M9.
In the rifle (NGSW-R) and automatic rifle (NGSW-AR) competition, the company prevailed over bids from Lonestar (previously General Dynamics Ordnance Systems – GD-OTS) and Textron Systems.
NGSW-R and NGSW-AR will see the US Army replace the M4A1 carbine and the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) — both 5.56mm calibre — used by its infantry squads.
The XM250 lightweight belt-fed machine gun will replace the SAW, while the XM5 will replace the M4A1. Both new weapons include the XM157 fire control optic from Sheltered Wings.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![Romania opens the chequebook and reorganises as it watches Russian aggression]()
Romania opens the chequebook and reorganises as it watches Russian aggression
Romania is retiring old systems, some Soviet, and replacing them with western equipment from countries such as Sweden and Turkey and boosting existing modern fleets.
-
![UK fires Archer for first time in live-fire exercise]()
UK fires Archer for first time in live-fire exercise
Exercise Dynamic Front 25 is part of a series of NATO exercises that will run until 26 November.
-
![Milrem picks Texelis for partnership in drive to develop large UGV]()
Milrem picks Texelis for partnership in drive to develop large UGV
Milrem has delivered or is building a total of 200 Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System UGVs and has chosen Texelis as partner in its effort to develop a UGV.
-
![Sweden takes delivery of first M3 amphibious bridge and ferry system]()
Sweden takes delivery of first M3 amphibious bridge and ferry system
The most recent nation to join NATO has joined other member nations in using the M3 system.
-
![CV90 delivery to Slovakia imminent]()
CV90 delivery to Slovakia imminent
Slovakia is undergoing a radical refresh of its equipment, like many central and eastern European countries, and the arrival of new vehicles will form a substantial part of this.
-
![Mortar mobility: Patria’s TREMOS takes aim at the modern battlespace]()
Mortar mobility: Patria’s TREMOS takes aim at the modern battlespace
In conversation... Patria’s Lauri Pauniaho talks to Shephard's Gerrard Cowan about how high mobility levels are essential for mortar systems in the face of modern counter-battery fire, and how a new platform-agnostic module can combine existing vehicles and mortar barrels into a cost-effective new weapon system.
