It’s time to brush up again on our knowledge of real world bullets rather than just 6mm plastic BBs. We have been reading about the need of the U.S. Military to replace the 5.56mm round as it is inadequate to penetrate new body armour of potential enemies. They are looking into alternative rounds such as the 7.62mm which is the round used by existing enemies and potential enemies. This may mean a new rifle design that will use the new round that will be selected. But according to IMI Systems (Israel Military Industries), there might not be a need to change the round and rifles if their new 5.56mm APM can meet the requirements.

Called as the “Razor Core” the 5.56mm APM (Armor Piercing Match), IMI Systems say that this round combines the advantages of 5.56mm and 7.62mm rounds and it is now being evaluated by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). In a press release from the IMI Systems, it says:

“There is no better place to assess the new operational requirements. There IDF has been fighting in all possible combat scenarios, including some that the world is experiencing” an Israel expert stated . In the modern battlefield where new armor are used by soldiers, the existing 5.56mm with different types such as the M193 and the M855 is sufficient anymore, and the new IMI 5.56APM is an excellent answer for the future battlefield.

IMI Systems claim that new 5.56mm APM has better accuracy and penetration capabilities than the standard 5.56mm. It say that tests have proven the new round provides better accuracy than 7.62mm at ranges of up to 550 meters and better penetration at a range of 800 meters.

What this means for the U.S. and its NATO allies is that they can still use existing weapon systems in their stockpiles such as assault rifles and support weapons that use the 5.56mm round. If the IMI Systems 5.56mm APM meet their needs to penetrate new generation body armor and performs better than the 7.62mm ammo in terms of accuracy and distance, then they may not need to do an immediate upgrade of their rifles such as the M4. With the new round, they can go toe to toe with an advantage in accuracy and penetration at longer ranges.

That means that it can help save on costs of spending on a new weapons design for a new round.