{"id":116280,"date":"2019-08-30T17:16:23","date_gmt":"2019-08-30T17:16:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/08\/30\/the-army-just-got-closer-to-ditching-the-m4-and-saw-for-a-next-generation-weapon\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T13:45:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T13:45:37","slug":"the-army-just-got-closer-to-ditching-the-m4-and-saw-for-a-next-generation-weapon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/off-duty\/2019\/08\/30\/the-army-just-got-closer-to-ditching-the-m4-and-saw-for-a-next-generation-weapon\/","title":{"rendered":"The Army just got closer to ditching the M4 and SAW for a \u2018next-generation\u2019 weapon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Army announced Aug. 29 that it has selected three companies to develop prototype weapons it says will make ground pounders more lethal in future battles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dubbed the Next-Generation Squad Weapon program<\/a>, the Army is asking industry to come up with weapon and ammunition designs that will address some of the shortfalls it has seen with the current M4 and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon carried by most front-line units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chambered in 5.56mm, the M4 and SAW has a lethal range of about 300 meters, service officials have said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new rifle and automatic rifle must be able to engage targets out to 600 meters<\/a>, industry insiders say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a weapon that could defeat any body armor, any planned body armor that we know of in the future,\u201d former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley has said. \u201cThis is a weapon that can go out at ranges that are unknown today. There is a target acquisition system built into this thing that is unlike anything that exists today. This is a very sophisticated weapon.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n