Not sure I'd want to be humping one of these babies through the weeds, but maybe with a decent sling...
Posted on 10/30/2018 12:15:08 PM PDT by re_tail20
“Right now, the feedback looks like we are going to a 6.8 caliber round,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said recently.
The service has a list of its top six modernization priorities and “soldier lethality” is one of the items. The most high-profile program in that category is the squad automatic rifle. Army Secretary Mark Esper at the Association of the United States Army annual conference — while promising the service is speeding up the way it does acquisition — singled out the program as one that would see prototypes in the near future.
“The bottom line is that we are committed to a new rifle,” Milley told reporters.
The 6.8 round would replace the 5.56 NATO round, which would mean two types of ammo for rifles on the battlefield, at least initially, Milley suggested. The 6.8 mm round was first developed by Remington and Special Operations Command. It is more lethal and accurate than the old rounds and 10 percent lighter.
If Milley’s prediction is correct, it would be used in one of six rifles being developed for the squad automatic rifle competition by five contractors. The competitors are: AAI Corp.-Textron Systems; FN America LLC (with two rifles); General Dynamics-OTS Inc; PCP Tactical LLC; and Sig Sauer Inc.
The new rifle is apt to be expensive, so not every soldier will have it from day one, Milley said.
“It’s a very sophisticated weapon. It’s a very capable weapon. And it has an integrated sight system,” he said. It will also integrate into the soldier’s wearable information technology.
“Not surprisingly, with a weapon like that it’s probably pretty expensive. We expect it to be expensive,” he said.
The initial buy would be in the 100,000 range, he said. “We will prioritize those soldiers who are in close-quarters...
(Excerpt) Read more at nationaldefensemagazine.org ...
6.8 caliber? What is that, a B.B.?
The 6.8 round in the article isn’t the SPC. It is a telescoped, plastic cased round loaded hotter than 6.8 SPC II.
6.8 caliber would be 6.8 inch. :P
6.8mm is what I’m sure they meant.
6.8mm = 0.26771653543 inches
They could do a lot worse than the 6.5 Carcano. The cartridge not the rifle.
A .270 short. The Brits were pushing a similar round as far back as WW II.
Not sure I'd want to be humping one of these babies through the weeds, but maybe with a decent sling...
The Brits were planning on going to a 7mm a lot earlier than WWII. They called it a .280 but the same thing.
So the new rifle will have all sorts of electronics and not just be something like a long-existing Barrett REC7 in 6.8mm. The best trend since Vietnam is that all weapons get optics. But what electronic components are needed other than night sights or thermal sights?
6.8 Caliber would be an artillery piece.
.068 Caliber would be a BB. And a small one, at that...
Wheels help...
Both correct.
6.8 mm is not 6.8 caliber. Changing terminology like this is unprofessional beyond the pale, and does nothing but confuse the reader. Just as equating automatic and semi-automatic does.
FTA I knew it couldn’t be an artillery piece. I was thinking it was some sort of new hyper fast needle projectile or something.
Very poorly written.
Not a big enough bump, bring back the 45-70 for close quarters.
“But what electronic components are needed other than night sights or thermal sights?”
Rounds remaining in the mag.
Barrel temp.
Gas pressure behind the piston.
Those are 3 I can think of. All via bluetooth. And displayed in the soldiers helmet shield.
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