With the selection of the Sig Sauer P320 pistol as the US Army’s new XM17 modular handgun system the question is now if further delays will occur.
Although the company was declared the winner on 18 January, the tender was delayed several times already and included 35 pages of performance requirements without specifying a calibre.
It has taken 10 years to identify a requirement and a 24-month evaluation phase that cost over $17 million. But now the handgun will become the US Army’s M17 and replace the 9mm M9 pistol from Beretta, which has been in service for 32 years.