#USArmy

As the introduction of the SIG M250 potentially opens a new chapter in the U.S. Army's squad automatic weapon story, or more accurately, the GPMG role, it is worth looking back at the excitement around the M249 when it was adopted. The U.S. Army type-classified the M249 on February 1, 1982, filling a long-standing gap in U.S. squad-level firepower.

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center has introduced SixPAC, a polymer and steel ammunition packaging system designed to replace the wood wirebound boxes that have been standard for small-caliber munitions since World War II. The system consists of two lightweight polymer inner containers housed within a steel outer pack, initially developed for 6.8mm cartridges and planned for rollout across legacy small-caliber production lines.

We’ve been following the US Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons program here at TFB from the very beginning and we recently reported that the US Army had received the first batch of the new and improved version of the NGSW-Rifle - the XM8. The XM8 Carbine is a shorter and lighter variant of the M7 rifle and it looks set to supplant the longer weapon.

B.E. Meyers & Co. continues its longstanding support of US military night fighting capabilities with a significant new contract award. The Redmond, Washington-based company has been selected to deliver thousands of its advanced DAGIR-V1 laser systems to the US Army’s PM Soldier Lethality. This order underscores the growing emphasis on enhanced small arms fire control and lethality during low-light operations. Built around advanced VCSEL technology, the DAGIR series delivers compact, rugged performance that integrates aiming and illumination functions for modern weapon platforms.

Peak Alloy technology was first introduced in the commercial market in 2025 with the then all-new 7mm Backcountry, and that iconic silver casing drew as much attention as the newly announced cartridge. Now, Federal has signed what they’re calling a landmark agreement with the United States Army to accelerate high-performance ammunition across a range of cartridges deployed by our military.

On April 3, the US Army announced that it had received its first batch of XM8 Carbines from the SIG Sauer. The XM8 is a new, lightweight variant of the M7 Rifle. We first reported on the new carbine back in March, and James at TFBTV got the low-down direct from SIG Sauer’s Director, Technical Sales and Support for Defense Product Management Adam Agri.

The U.S. Army inked partnerships with Geissele Automatics and Carpenter Technology to develop next-generation small arms barrels using GNB 200 alloy and a new rifle profile. The partnerships, formalized through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) signed in 2022, aim to solve barrel wear and durability problems created by higher-pressure ammunition in modern weapon systems.

The U.S. Army has approved the M111 Offensive Hand Grenade for service, marking the first new lethal hand grenade cleared for military use since 1968. The system was developed at Picatinny Arsenal through the Capabilities Program Executive Office for Ammunition and Energetics in cooperation with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM).

O.F. Mossberg & Sons has been awarded an additional U.S. Army contract valued at roughly $11.6 million for more 590A1 pump-action shotguns. The 590-series has been in U.S. military service since 1987, when the original Mossberg 590 completed the full MIL-Spec 3443E endurance and environmental testing protocol. Its performance in that evaluation led to widespread adoption across multiple branches.

It's a concept that has been discussed for a long time but the US Army has recently showcased a new integrated battery system for its small arms systems. The Army’s Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center has shared photos of the new Small Tactical Universal Battery or STUB.

FN America, LLC has announced that it has been awarded a $4.9 million contract to supply the U.S. Army with additional FN M240L medium machine guns. The M240L was originally adopted by the U.S. Army in 2010, after a joint development effort with FN to create a lighter, yet durable, medium machine gun.

The US Army has announced that the MARS Inc and Barrett team has been selected as the winner of the xTech Soldier Lethality competition for the Precision Grenadier System.

Meet the M7 Rifle and M250 Automatic Rifle, the US Army’s newly type classified infantry small arms. The transition from the XM to fully fledged ‘M’ designations represents “a major program milestone” according to the US Army’s Project Manager Soldier Lethality team who have overseen the selection, refinement and roll-out of the new weapons.

A new monograph written by a US Army Captain is making some waves around the XM-7 Next Generation Squad Weapon-Rifle. The report contains information about observed issues with these guns. It also draws some interesting historical parallels to earlier infantry rifle procurements.

Apart from this lovely beach, we have operators from the U.S. Army Special Forces in this Photo Of The Day. If they made postcards like this, I’d probably end up buying them and sending them to all my relatives. The yellow suppressor indicates it’s made for blanks, which is probably a good choice for Miami Beach on Memorial Day.