{"id":30034,"date":"2024-04-17T18:34:23","date_gmt":"2024-04-17T18:34:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:04:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:04:43","slug":"new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/","title":{"rendered":"Next Generation Squad Weapon and optic exceed soldiers\u2019 expectations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first soldiers to field the Army\u2019s newest rifle and automatic rifle began live-fire training with the weapons this week, including demonstrations on how the new round can penetrate barriers to strike targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Soldiers with the 1st Brigade, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division received a batch of XM7 rifles and XM250 automatic rifles and their XM157 fire controls in late March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The XM7 is the Army\u2019s replacement for the M4 while the XM250 will replace the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. Both new weapons are chambered in 6.8mm, a larger and more powerful round than the legacy 5.56mm round used in the M4 and M249.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The soldiers conducted classroom training last week and began firing the weapons in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/news\/your-army\/2023\/10\/06\/whats-the-firepower-like-for-the-armys-new-rifle-automatic-rifle\/\" target=\"_blank\">demonstrations <\/a>on Monday, Col. Trevor Voelkel, 1st Brigade commander, told Army Times in a phone interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Voelkel said he was impressed with the demonstration that showed the 6.8mm round piercing concrete blocks to strike paper targets on steel backdrops behind the barriers.<\/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\/2024\/03\/29\/101st-airborne-first-army-unit-to-field-next-generation-squad-weapons\/\" 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=\"207\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/8055024.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\">101st Airborne first Army unit to field Next Generation Squad Weapons<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">A brigade from the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell became the first unit equipped with the Army\u2019s new Next Generation Squad Weapons.<\/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\">\u201cSeeing the effects on the targets we had makes up for any concerns I had initially about the increased weight,\u201d the colonel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unloaded, the XM7 weighs 8.4 pounds, which is 3 pounds heavier than the M4. The XM250 weighs roughly 13 pounds unloaded, which is 2.7 pounds lighter than the M249.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 6.8mm round has a lethal range of at least 600m, twice that of 5.56mm rounds, Army officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Staff Sgt. Garrett Steele, a weapons squad leader, and Sgt. Marcus Colston, bravo team leader, told Army Times that before they fired the weapon they were worried that the new round would add recoil, which might make it hard to get back on target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe recoil, honestly, was very negligible even with the larger round,\u201d Colston said. \u201cThe weight of the weapon was pretty negligible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Steele agreed and said the XM7 was very accurate, both with iron sights and the new fire control. The weapons team leader said the group of soldiers with 1st Brigade that he trained with were able to zero their weapons and get tight groupings after shooting 10 rounds or fewer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere wasn\u2019t anybody who had any issues getting groupings or zeroing quickly,\u201d Steele said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4534\" height=\"3048\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240415-A-IG696-0030.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-88090\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240415-A-IG696-0030.jpg.jpg 4534w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240415-A-IG696-0030.jpg.jpg?resize=300,202 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240415-A-IG696-0030.jpg.jpg?resize=768,516 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240415-A-IG696-0030.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,688 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240415-A-IG696-0030.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1033 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240415-A-IG696-0030.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1377 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4534px) 100vw, 4534px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A 101st Airborne Division Soldier fires the XM250 Automatic Rifle during a Next Generation Squad Weapons New Equipment Training event at Fort Campbell, Ky. on April 15, 2024.  (Jason Amadi\/Army)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The XM157 has a host of features not available in the standard rifle optics such as the Close Combat Optic and Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight that have been used by soldiers for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new fire control has a built-in infrared aiming laser, bullet drop compensator and ballistics calculator that can receive data for any weapons system in the Army\u2019s inventory and add new data for future weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fire control will adjust the aiming point for the shooter based on distance and the ballistics of the round. It allows shooters to use eight times magnification to zoom in on a target, compared to the four times magnification on current standard optics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both sergeants said the optic was easy and quick to use. And the features were all applicable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s no fluff on the optic,\u201d Colston said. \u201cEverything that we can do with that, in my experience, the things we do as infantrymen, every single one of those features is going to be useful at a certain time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Voelkel echoed his soldiers\u2019 comments on the fire control, comparing it to the current optics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s kind of like going from my Nokia flip phone to an iPhone,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rangefinder and IR laser will allow soldiers to mark target reference points and laser targets for call for fire in the field with no additional equipment, the colonel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think that\u2019s going to open up a whole new world of capabilities,\u201d Voelkel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The brigade will receive 1,500 XM7s and 200 XM150s, all with their own optics, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.peosoldier.army.mil\/Equipment\/Equipment-Portfolio\/Project-Manager-Soldier-Lethality-Portfolio\/Next-Generation-Squad-Weapons-Program\/\" target=\"_blank\">Program Executive Office-Soldier<\/a>. The brigade is expected to be fully fielded with the new weapons by September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The brigade is scheduled for their pre-deployment Joint Readiness Training Center rotation in March 2025, Voelkel said. The unit has a large-scale field training exercise scheduled for this fall with the entire 101st Airborne Division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those events will help the unit see the performance of a brigade fully equipped with the new small arms and optics in both live fires and simulated, force-on-force training, the colonel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During force-on-force exercises, soldiers armed with the weapons will have greater ranges and the ability to penetrate barriers when in a close fight. The laser shooting systems used for force-on-force can be adjusted to accommodate the 6.8mm ballistics so commanders can get a sample of its performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s going to allow us to engage the enemy earlier than we would have,\u201d Garrett said. \u201cIf we see an enemy far out, we can get better eyes on with the optic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2017, the 101st Airborne Division was also the first unit to field the replacement for the legacy M9 handgun with the Modular Handgun System, which includes the M17 and M18 handguns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following that fielding with the next generation weapons gives the division a chance to give the Army feedback on a weapon that many soldiers may carry for decades to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think there\u2019s a lot of pride and a feeling of weighty responsibility,\u201d Voelkel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The $4.7 billion rifle and automatic rifle weapons contract with firearms manufacturer Sig Sauer and the $2.7 billion contract with Sheltered Wings, a subsidiary of Vortex Optics, for the XM157, are the most significant changes to Army individual weapons since the M16 was fielded in the 1960s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The XM7 is a piston-driven, modular, select-fire, magazine-fed, suppressed rifle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The XM250 is a belt-fed, air-cooled, lightweight, gas-operated, select-fire, suppressed light machine gun that fires from the open-bolt position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Army plans to field the new weapons to close combat forces such as infantry, special operations, scouts, combat engineers, forward observers and combat medics by fiscal year 2033.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The legacy M4 and M249 will see continued use for decades to come for the rest of the Army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Correction: This article has been updated to remove an inaccurate reference to a 7.62mm comparison with 6.8mm.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The brigade will be fully fielded with the new weapons by September.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":88089,"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":7,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[7,29],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3318],"class_list":["post-30034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-battlefield-tech","category-home"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"HE77DQAELBFRZGKN5FAOULQUNA","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-army\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/","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>Next Generation Squad Weapon and optic exceed soldiers\u2019 expectations - C4ISRNet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The brigade will be fully fielded with the new weapons by September.\" \/>\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=\"Next Generation Squad Weapon and optic exceed soldiers\u2019 expectations\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The brigade will be fully fielded with the new weapons by September.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"C4ISRNet\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-04-17T18:34:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T04:04:43+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=\"5 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\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/17\\\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/17\\\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Next Generation Squad Weapon and optic exceed soldiers\u2019 expectations\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2024-04-17T18:34:23+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T04:04:43+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/17\\\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1037,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/17\\\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/240415-A-IG696-7458.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Battlefield Tech\",\n\t                \"Home\"\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\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/17\\\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/17\\\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/17\\\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Next Generation Squad Weapon and optic exceed soldiers\u2019 expectations - C4ISRNet\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/17\\\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/17\\\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/240415-A-IG696-7458.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2024-04-17T18:34:23+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T04:04:43+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"The brigade will be fully fielded with the new weapons by September.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/17\\\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\\\/#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\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/17\\\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\\\/\"\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\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/17\\\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/240415-A-IG696-7458.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/240415-A-IG696-7458.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/17\\\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\\\/#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\\\/c4isrnet\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Battlefield Tech\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"battlefield-tech\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Next Generation Squad Weapon and optic exceed soldiers\u2019 expectations\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"C4ISRNet\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Media for the Intelligence-Age Military | C4ISRNET\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#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\\\/c4isrnet\\\/?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\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"C4ISRNet\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/c4isrnet-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/c4isrnet-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"C4ISRNet\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#\\\/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\\\/c4isrnet\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Next Generation Squad Weapon and optic exceed soldiers\u2019 expectations - C4ISRNet","description":"The brigade will be fully fielded with the new weapons by September.","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":"Next Generation Squad Weapon and optic exceed soldiers\u2019 expectations","og_description":"The brigade will be fully fielded with the new weapons by September.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/","og_site_name":"C4ISRNet","article_published_time":"2024-04-17T18:34:23+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T04:04:43+00:00","author":"Todd South","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Todd South","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Next Generation Squad Weapon and optic exceed soldiers\u2019 expectations","datePublished":"2024-04-17T18:34:23+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T04:04:43+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/"},"wordCount":1037,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240415-A-IG696-7458.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Battlefield Tech","Home"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/","name":"Next Generation Squad Weapon and optic exceed soldiers\u2019 expectations - C4ISRNet","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240415-A-IG696-7458.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2024-04-17T18:34:23+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T04:04:43+00:00","description":"The brigade will be fully fielded with the new weapons by September.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240415-A-IG696-7458.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240415-A-IG696-7458.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2024\/04\/17\/new-rifle-automatic-rifle-and-optic-exceed-paratrooper-expectations\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Battlefield Tech","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/","ad_zone":"battlefield-tech"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Next Generation Squad Weapon and optic exceed soldiers\u2019 expectations"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/","name":"C4ISRNet","description":"Media for the Intelligence-Age Military | C4ISRNET","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#organization","name":"C4ISRNet","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c4isrnet-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c4isrnet-logo-white.png","caption":"C4ISRNet"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#\/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\/c4isrnet\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"C4ISRNet","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/240415-A-IG696-7458.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30034"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40612,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30034\/revisions\/40612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30034"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=30034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}