Image source: topwar.ru
The Army Times publication writes about the implementation of the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program. It will help American troops get much more lethal weapons than those that have been used over the past 65 years. This is due to the transition to a 6.8mm caliber instead of 5.56 mm today. It is reported that in this way a replacement for the M4 automatic carbine and the M249 SAW machine gun was found.
Currently, American infantry units use automatic rifles and 5.56 mm machine guns. If such units engage in combat with Russian, Chinese or other military armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles, they lose both in firing range and lethality. At the same time, the emphasis is on the fact that the 7.62 mm caliber is "common in the army of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China."
According to the publication, most of the armies of potential US adversaries are armed with 7.62 mm caliber weapons with a firing range of up to 1500 m. But American rifles have a firing range of 800-1000 m.
The new NGSW weapon will be more accurate and powerful, though heavier, according to the military.
The Pentagon expects that the first army unit will receive a new type of automatic rifle no later than October 2023. Switching to a different caliber will not be cheap, since it will be necessary not only to rearm the units, but also to increase the production of cartridges of a new caliber. We are talking about many billions of dollars that will have to be spent from the American budget. However, against the background of the costs to Ukraine, these figures now look not so big.
Most likely, the army infantry, armored cavalry (motorized rifle) reconnaissance units, sappers, medics and marines will be the first to receive new weapons. The rest of the American servicemen will continue to serve with the same rifles.
Meanwhile, the M16 rifle, which was developed in the 1950s and adopted by the American army only in 1967, has long been criticized by military experts. Moreover, it was the caliber that was criticized: lighter cartridges, according to many military men, had a low lethal effect. Supporters of the M16 and its modifications, such as the M4, argued that, on the other hand, such cartridges provide a greater rate of fire.
During the operation in Afghanistan, American soldiers complained about the low firing range of such cartridges. Also, the factor of the development of bulletproof vest technologies played against the 5.56 mm caliber. Their protective capabilities have increased and such a cartridge could not always penetrate a bulletproof vest and cause harm to its owner.
Any search for alternatives to the traditional automatic rifle used in the American army faced a caliber problem. For example, back in 2010, the US Marine Corps began using the M27, a 5.56mm infantry automatic rifle to replace the M4. But the desired effect was not achieved in this case either.
The new cartridges will be manufactured at Sig Sauer's facility in New Hampshire. The new line is also planned to open at a weapons factory in Missouri. However, the implementation of these plans will take years and a lot of money. In any case, rearmament will significantly change the American army, analysts say.
