The U.S. Army Contracting Command recently announced awards to SIG Sauer, AAI Textron Systems, and General Dynamics. The companies will develop weapon variants for the Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) program. Each company received Fixed Amount, Full and Open Competition contracts for weapon prototypes.

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“These Prototype OTAs will enhance the mission effectiveness by developing two weapon variants under the Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) program and 6.8 millimeter ammunition common to both weapons,” the release read.

SIG Sauer will provide 6.8 hybrid ammunition, a lightweight machine gun, rifle and included suppressors, according to a company release. We will assume each company will submit an equal package as part of the prototype contract. SIG Sauer went on to say it would provide single source manufacturing. That includes all ammunition, weapons, and suppressors, equaling less risk and increased capability for the U.S. Army.

Army NGSW Contract

“The U.S. Army is leading the world in the first significant upgrade to small arms in decades to meet the growing demands of soldiers on the battlefield. We are honored to have been selected for the Next Generation Squad Weapons program bringing increased lethality to the warfighter over the legacy weapons,” began Ron Cohen, President & CEO, SIG SAUER, Inc. “At the core of our submission is our newly developed, high-pressure, 6.8mm hybrid ammunition that is utilized in both weapons, and is a significant leap forward in ammunition innovation, design, and manufacturing.”

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SIG provided additional information on the ammunition. It explained the Army called for 6.8mm hybrid ammunition, designed for increased penetration at greater distances.

“Using patent-pending technology the SIG Sauer Ammunition division has engineered a completely new cartridge resulting in a more compact round, with increased velocity and accuracy, while delivering a substantial reduction in the weight of the ammunition.”

The NGSW program calls for new rifles, pushing a new 6.8mm cartridge. The rifle and carbine will share commonality between them, making this a complete system for soldiers.

“The U.S. Army challenged the industry to bring forward significant improvements to the legacy weapons. The SIG SAUER NGSW-AR is lighter in weight, with dramatically less recoil than that currently in service, while our carbine for the NGSW-Rifle submission is built on the foundation of SIG SAUER weapons in service with the premier fighting forces across the globe. Both weapons are designed with features that will increase the capabilities of the soldier,” commented Cohen. “The final component of the SIG SAUER Next Generation Weapons System is our suppressor, which through exhaustively researched design enhancements, reduces harmful backflow and signature.”