Image source: topwar.ru
U.S. Army officials have not yet publicly disclosed which of their melee units will be the first to receive the new rifle, machine gun and ammunition for them. However, they reported how much the army spends and how many weapons will be released early next year.
Washington intends to spend $38 million on research, development, testing and experiments and another $293 million on the purchase of next-generation combat weapons in 2024.
Ultimately, this will lead to the purchase of 17,122 rifles and carbines, 1,419 automatic rifles, 14,932 optical fire control devices and 21 million 6.8 mm cartridges. This was stated by US Deputy Secretary of Defense Gabe Camarillo.
According to officials, some of the weapons in the form of rifles, light assault rifles, optics and ammunition should arrive without the slightest delay by the beginning of 2024. The weapon, which will also include a silencer, is primarily intended for special operations forces, infantry, scouts and sappers attached to infantry or other melee units.
The new combination of infantry weapons gives soldiers a single type of cartridge for combat at the squad level, as it was with its predecessors - M4/ M16, M249. These systems are of 5.56 mm caliber
The 6.8mm intermediate cartridge is based on ammunition developed by the Army, but is a completely new cartridge not previously used in the US armed forces.
The 6.8 mm munition retains the accuracy needed at longer distances than a smaller-caliber analog, while having an energy comparable to that of a 7.62 mm munition, officials said.
Last year, Sig Sauer won a contract to supply weapons and some ammunition to the US Army. This happened after the company won a contract to replace the previous M9 Beretta 9mm pistol with an M17 pistol manufactured by Sig Sauer.