Free Republic

The Army intends to introduce in 2023 a rifle and light machine gun pairing to substitute the M4 carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon for its close combat unit. The Marine Corps and Special Operations Command are also involved in the extensive testing and experimentation phase and will be able to choose the new-caliber firearms. The new 6.8mm round, specially designed by the Army, is the most significant change for shooters. In the Next Generation Squad Weapon program, competitors were tasked with building the weapon to accommodate this round. Sig Sauer secured the $4.7 billion weapon contract last year, while...

AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- Lockheed Martin landed a $3.9 million contract to develop a rifle scope attachment meant to improve accuracy in the U.S. military. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contract authorized the development of system using a low-power laser rangefinder that adjusts for wind and other environmental conditions. The system is meant to allow soldiers to accurately view targets at varying distances without changing scopes. Scopes currently focus primarily on a single target range "impacting soldiers' effectiveness and survivability when engaging targets at different distances during a single mission," said Dan Schultz, a Lockheed Martin vice president.