{"id":45297,"date":"2022-04-20T21:01:27","date_gmt":"2022-04-20T21:01:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/04\/20\/army-expects-next-generation-squad-weapon-to-get-to-its-first-unit-by-next-year\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:05:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:05:26","slug":"army-expects-next-generation-squad-weapon-to-get-to-its-first-unit-by-next-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/land\/2022\/04\/20\/army-expects-next-generation-squad-weapon-to-get-to-its-first-unit-by-next-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Army expects Next Generation Squad Weapon to get to its first unit by next year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

PENTAGON, Arlington, Virginia \u2013 For the first time in 65 years, the Army has changed its individual <\/a>rifle, squad machine gun, optic<\/a> and caliber of both weapons at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Army announced Tuesday <\/a>that it selected Sig Sauer to manufacture and deliver a 6.8 mm Next Generation Squad Weapon to replace the M4 carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, which both fire the 5.56 mm round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a Wednesday media briefing, two Army brigadier generals and a colonel answered questions about the selection, the weapon, the ammunition and the fielding process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first batch of NGSW rifles and automatic rifles, along with their high-tech fire control optic, are scheduled to arrive to a not-yet-identified Army unit by the end of fiscal 2023, which means by or before October 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\t