Sig Sauer is looking to land an Army contract and replace the M4A1 and M249.
Sig Sauer recently delivered the final iterations of next-gen prototype weapons to the Army. These prototypes are designed for close-combat units and are chambered for the specially designed 6.8mm projectile. This new ammunition can handle higher pressure, will have increased velocity, and improved terminal performance on enemy insurgents.
The theoretical replacement for the M249 is called the Sig NGSW. The Sig NGSW is 40% lighter than the M249 and will have significantly reduced recoil.
The theoretical replacement to the M4A1 is called the MCX Spear and is an adapted civilian model MCX platform. This AR-style rifle will feature cutting-edge ergonomic technology that Sig claims will help soldiers transition to the new weapons system.
From Military.com:Â
“We are immensely proud that our entire NGSW submission has been designed, engineered, and manufactured as one integrated system by one single American company at our U.S. facilities,” Cohen said in the release. “Each component has been exhaustively tested with the others to ensure peak operational performance and endurance for the rigors of the battlefield.”
The Army plans to select a single firm to make both the weapons and ammunition in the first quarter of fiscal 2022 and to begin fielding them to close-combat units in the fourth quarter of the same fiscal year.
The Army selected Sig in 2017 to make the M17 and M18 9mm Modular Handgun Systems that will ultimately replace the M9 9mm pistol across all of the services.
“We have a proven and successful track record of delivering multi-branch, service-wide, successful weapons programs to the U.S. Army, and we stand ready,” Cohen said in the release. “As a leader in the firearms manufacturing industry, we understand the challenge of bringing a system like this to reality. We designed our NGSW system to be production-ready and with every component coming from SIG, it presents minimal fielding risk to the U.S. Army.”
The Army will select one company to make both a replacement to the M4A1 and M249 soon. Sig Sauer is hoping that the Army’s selection of their handgun will help them secure this contract.
