VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Army has sped up and shifted its fielding of the Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle to Pacific-focused and special operations units in the coming months and next year.
The Next Generation Squad Weapon program includes a 6.8mm rifle and automatic rifle to replace the 5.56mm M4 and Squad Automatic Weapon, respectively.
The NGSW also includes a fire control, which contains advanced ballistics and aiming assistance not available in currently fielded rifle optics.
“We haven’t fielded a gun in this magnitude to the close combat force since the M16 started fielding in 1967,” said Col. Jason Bohannon, who manages the soldier lethality portfolio at Program Executive Office-Soldier.
The Army fielded the NGSW package to a battalion in the 1st Brigade, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, in late March with the XM7 rifle, XM250 automatic rifle and the XM157 fire control.
This summer, the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team with the North Carolina Army National Guard also received the weapons.