{"id":37318,"date":"2020-11-06T22:43:32","date_gmt":"2020-11-06T22:43:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:14:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:14:45","slug":"army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/","title":{"rendered":"Army launches new effort to tackle \u2018No. 1\u2019 squad capability gap"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Army is restarting the search for a way to fill the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/the-army-is-looking-for-a-new-machine-gun-and-the-marines-might-get-a-new-caliber-too\/\" target=_blank>biggest capability gap<\/a> in the infantry squad \u2014 counter-defilade firepower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During panel discussions Thursday and Friday at the National Defense Industrial Association\u2019s annual Armaments, Robotics and Munitions conference, weapons and munitions directors noted the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/news\/your-army\/2019\/10\/18\/how-the-soldier-lethality-team-is-equipping-soldiers\/\" target=_blank>need for a solution<\/a> to that problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s the \u201cNumber One capability gap for the (Maneuver Center of Excellence),\u201d Lt. Col. Pete Stambersky, the Army\u2019s product manager for individual weapons, said Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2018\/08\/23\/after-canceling-the-xm25-the-army-looks-to-other-options-for-battling-concealed-enemies\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xm-25-xm25-soldier-firing.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">After canceling the XM25, the Army looks to other options for battling concealed enemies<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Work on airburst ammunition for 40mm rounds should fill the gap the XM25 was designed to meet.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Counter-defilade is essentially a way to overcome barriers or obstacles that opponents might use for cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It requires either a precisely placed round, fired in an arc, to defeat the obstacle or an airburst munition that can neutralize an adversary after clearing the obstacle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Grenades can provide that, but have limited range and accuracy. Grenade launchers help, but don\u2019t nail down the precision. Loitering drones and other higher-echelon weapons are relevant assets, but not organic to the squad-level fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mortars are used and some rounds specific to counter-defilade have been used, but have not provided the best solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though the project is in its beginning stages, it takes off from years of efforts that produced the XM25, a 25mm counter-defilade weapon that ultimately received poor reviews in soldier testing and was considered such a liability that soldiers reportedly opted not to take it on patrols in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"500\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xm-25-xm25-soldier-firing.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25389\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xm-25-xm25-soldier-firing.jpg.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xm-25-xm25-soldier-firing.jpg.jpg?resize=300,150 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xm-25-xm25-soldier-firing.jpg.jpg?resize=768,384 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That effort took nearly a decade and was canceled in July 2018. But it had sat in a kind of limbo status since 2016 after failures in field testing, which had started in 2010 after nearly a decade of development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the interim, soldiers are looking to air-bursting rounds that can be fired from the M320 grenade launcher and using the 84mm Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle for larger obstacles, but those ride on two ends of the counter-defilade spectrum, too little for some targets and a bit of overkill for what needs to be carried within a squad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new program will open up the type of munition to meet the counter-defilade problem at the squad level, but Stambersky said the weapon must have variable power magnification in its fire control, a range of at least 1,000 meters and a \u201cfamily of ammunition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that\u2019s just on the hardware side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The precision grenadier system must also work within the Adaptive Squad Architecture, a kind of software and powered backbone to individual soldier weapons being developed by Program Executive Office\u2013Soldier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"859\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xm25-army-2011.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-73505\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xm25-army-2011.jpg.jpg 900w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xm25-army-2011.jpg.jpg?resize=300,286 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/xm25-army-2011.jpg.jpg?resize=768,733 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The weapon must also work with one or both of the recently fielded Enhanced Night Vision-Binocular or the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, IVAS, expected to begin fielding in about a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The IVAS allows for users to see their weapon sights in the goggle and shoot around corners or over obstacles using rapid target acquisitioning software, a handy capability should a soldier or Marine need to maintain cover while targeting with counter-defilade munitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On a Thursday panel, Col. Rhett Thompson, director of the Soldier Requirements Division, said they expect a system by 2028.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thompson admitted that the squad-level counter-defilade isn\u2019t a problem that\u2019s going away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOne of our challenges continues to be counter-defilade because of one thing that happens when you start the firefight \u2026 everybody goes down, everybody goes to ground,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The new weapon must work with advanced systems, be able to fire 1,000 meters and have a \u201cfamily of ammunition.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":73503,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":70,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["your-military","news","left-column","home"],"primary_category":"your-military"}}},"categories":[100,23,92,12,25,70],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3366],"class_list":["post-37318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-army"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"RC2BAAQZPZCTTDDEMNY25ORIGU","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Army launches new effort to tackle \u2018No. 1\u2019 squad capability gap - Army Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The new weapon must work with advanced systems, be able to fire 1,000 meters and have a \u201cfamily of ammunition.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Army launches new effort to tackle \u2018No. 1\u2019 squad capability gap\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The new weapon must work with advanced systems, be able to fire 1,000 meters and have a \u201cfamily of ammunition.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Army Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-11-06T22:43:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T03:14:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Todd South\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Todd South\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/06\\\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/06\\\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Army launches new effort to tackle \u2018No. 1\u2019 squad capability gap\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2020-11-06T22:43:32+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T03:14:45+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/06\\\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 549,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/06\\\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/nightime-mortar-fire.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Left Column\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Your Army\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/06\\\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/06\\\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/06\\\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Army launches new effort to tackle \u2018No. 1\u2019 squad capability gap - Army Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/06\\\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/06\\\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/nightime-mortar-fire.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2020-11-06T22:43:32+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T03:14:45+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"The new weapon must work with advanced systems, be able to fire 1,000 meters and have a \u201cfamily of ammunition.\u201d\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/06\\\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/06\\\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/06\\\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/nightime-mortar-fire.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/nightime-mortar-fire.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2020\\\/11\\\/06\\\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"News\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"news\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Your Army\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"your-army\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 4,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Army launches new effort to tackle \u2018No. 1\u2019 squad capability gap\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Army Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Soldiers | Army Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Army Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/army-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/army-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Army Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Army launches new effort to tackle \u2018No. 1\u2019 squad capability gap - Army Times","description":"The new weapon must work with advanced systems, be able to fire 1,000 meters and have a \u201cfamily of ammunition.\u201d","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Army launches new effort to tackle \u2018No. 1\u2019 squad capability gap","og_description":"The new weapon must work with advanced systems, be able to fire 1,000 meters and have a \u201cfamily of ammunition.\u201d","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/","og_site_name":"Army Times","article_published_time":"2020-11-06T22:43:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T03:14:45+00:00","author":"Todd South","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Todd South","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Army launches new effort to tackle \u2018No. 1\u2019 squad capability gap","datePublished":"2020-11-06T22:43:32+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T03:14:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/"},"wordCount":549,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nightime-mortar-fire.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Home","Left Column","News","Newsletters","Your Army"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/","name":"Army launches new effort to tackle \u2018No. 1\u2019 squad capability gap - Army Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nightime-mortar-fire.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2020-11-06T22:43:32+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T03:14:45+00:00","description":"The new weapon must work with advanced systems, be able to fire 1,000 meters and have a \u201cfamily of ammunition.\u201d","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nightime-mortar-fire.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nightime-mortar-fire.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2020\/11\/06\/army-launches-new-effort-to-tackle-no-1-squad-capability-gap\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/","ad_zone":"news"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Your Army","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/","ad_zone":"your-army"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Army launches new effort to tackle \u2018No. 1\u2019 squad capability gap"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/","name":"Army Times","description":"Independent News For Soldiers | Army Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#organization","name":"Army Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/army-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/army-logo-white.png","caption":"Army Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Army Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/nightime-mortar-fire.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37318"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37318\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37326,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37318\/revisions\/37326"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37318"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=37318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}