Thread by @nicholadrummond

The US Army's Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) Program is gaining momentum with an updated Prototype Opportunity Notice released yesterday. The Army's Research Lab (ARL) will provide a new 8 gram 6.8mm bullet and let vendors design a cartridge and weapons around it.

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The requirement is to defeat targets at 600 m and to suppress to 1,200 m. Muzzle velocity of the new projectile is estimated to be 3,500 fps or 1,066 mps. While the new 6.8mm bullet will be more aerodynamic than 7.62mm, the overall performance envelope will be similar.

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The new bullet design will likely be based on the EPR design used for the 5.56mm M855A1 and 7.62mm M80A1 ball rounds. There will also be a tungsten AP round that is expected to be able to defeat Level 4 body armour. Both are new designs developed by the ARL.

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Six bidders have been down-selected to develop prototype weapon systems:
- Textron / AAI @TextronDefense
- General Dynamics OTS @GD_OTS
- PCP Defense
- SIG Sauer @sigsauerinc
- FN @FN_America - Design 1
- FN @FN_America - Design 2

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While there are concerns about 5.56mm NATO performance beyond 400-500 metres, the new 6.8mm calibre seems like a return to 7.62mm with all the associated weight and recoil penalties. If it is adopted by the US Army, soldier weight burden will almost certainly increase.

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The NSW program is extremely ambitious in its goals and scope. It includes adding a fire control system to the weapon. This will have a laser range finder, ballistic calculator and possibly something like LIDAR to measure wind deflection.

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Overall the US Army's NGSW seeks to introduce the following innovations by 2025:
- New caliber (6.8mm)
- New ammunition type (cased telescoped)
- New ammunition material (polymer)
- New weapon action type (forward ejection)
- New weapon FCS (TBC)
- New weapon design

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The risks and costs associated with the NGSW Program seem immense. Given other ambitious small arms programs that failed (SPIW, Project Salvo, ACR, XM29 IOCW, and XM25 CDTE) it will be interesting to see how NGSW develops.

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Some observers believe a marginally improved 5.56mm NATO round would be sufficient. However, to improve 5.56mm further it would need a longer projectile, which would require a longer cartridge, which would require a longer action length and in turn a new weapon.

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5.56mm ammo and the M16 rifle were only meant to be an interim solution, until advanced SA programs delivered. If NGSW takes too long or doesn't ultimately work, the US Army could adopt another interim solution, like 6.5mm Creedmoor, that becomes the next NATO standard.

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