After an exhaustive 27 months of evaluation, the U.S. Army has finally selected the manufacturer that will produce their Next Generation Squad Weapon or NGSW.
Sig Sauer won the sought-after 10-year, 20-million dollar contract to produce both a rifle and a lightweight, belt-fed variant for the government.
This made Sig Sauer a two-time winner when it comes to new military contracts. The NGSW contract is the second contract won by Sig Sauer for providing weapons to the U.S. military. In 2017, they also won the contract to produce the M17/18 service pistol that is replacing the Beretta M9.
The future looks bright for Sig Sauer and the U.S. Army.
NGSW Improves Accuracy, Velocity & Target Energy
The new Sig Sauer rifle and its variant will be replacing the M4 and the M249 on the battlefield. Specifically, the M4 will be replaced by the XM5, and the M249 will be replaced by the XM250.
The NGSW represents a leap forward for U.S. Army infantry weapons thanks to the new round in which it is chambered. The 6.8mm round that these weapons fire has huge advantages in both velocity and target energy compared to the 5.56 for which the M4 is chambered.
The NGSW also provides improvements to accuracy offered by the 7.62mm used in the M249 while reducing the overall weight of the load for the soldier. This round will help to solve the problem of overmatch faced by troops when armed with a weapon chambered in 5.56.
New Optics System Strengthens the NGSW
Another major improvement that comes with the U.S. Army contract for the NGSW is a new optics system. Vortex Optics won a $2.7 billion contract to produce the XM157 Fire Control optic that will be mounted on the new squad weapons.
It incorporates several systems into one package. The XM157 will include features such as variable magnification, a backup reticle, laser range finder, ballistics calculator, and a laser aiming system capable of both infrared and visible light. All of this is tied together with a digital overlay for the operator.
First Standard Suppressor on the NGSW
The final improvement of note with the NGSW is that it will be the first standard issue weapon to come with a suppressor as a basic feature. This will give every soldier carrying an NGSW the advantage of reduced muzzle flash, while greatly decreases the report of the rifle when fired.
While the NGSW will be in the hands of troops soon, the venerable M4 isn’t going away for a while. Although the NGSW is replacing it for infantry troops, scouts, and combat engineers, the M4 will still be issued to any other soldiers requiring a rifle for the foreseeable future.
Brush Up Your Skills at Delray Shooting Center
At Delray Shooting Center, we have 15 pistol lanes and 2 rifle lanes available plus a large selection of firearms to rent if you don’t have your own. While you’re waiting for the civilian version of the NGSW, come down, grab some ammo, and set up on a lane.
