The U.S. Army will soon be deploying soldiers who will be equipped with the Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) and it will be SIG Sauer that will be supplying the NGSWs. With the win, SIG Sauer is the overall the main supplier of firearms to the U.S. Army and given that whatever the U.S. Army selects is eventually adapted by the other branches, it can be seen that the company will be the biggest firearms supplier to the U.S. Armed Forces.

The NGSW program which started in 2017 to find a new weapons system that will be able to penetrate the body armor of near peer enemies, was set to use the 6.8mm round. The selected supplier will replace the M4 and M249 with weapons that will use the 6.8mm round and are suppressor ready. The SIG Sauer MCX-SPEAR will replace the XM4 as the assault rifle and will be officially designated as the XM5 and the SIG-LMG will be the squad automatic weapon with the designation of XM250. The 6.8mm round is the SIG 6.8x51 FURY Hybrid Ammunition.

While the XM5 will be heavier by a pound (8.3lbs) compared to the M4 (7.3lbs), the XM250 (12lbs) is lighter than the M249 (18lbs) and M240 (28lbs). Winchester will provide the to make the 6.8mm FURY round and early on, Vortex Optics was contracted to supply the XM157 NGSW-FC fire control system.

The initial contract will see Sig Sauer supplying the XM5 Rifle and the XM250 Automatic Rifle for $20.4 million. This expected to increase over the years as the new weapons are distributed to various units.

There is a big implication with the NGSW as it will also affect how military allies of the U.S. around the world, especially NATO will decide on their future weapons. Most will want to be interoperable especially with the use of the 6.8mm round (or .277 Fury) either weapons manufacturers will design around the ammo or will want to talk to SIG Sauer in supplying the MCX-SPEAR and the SIG-LMG. SIG Sauer will surely have its hands full just supplying the U.S. Military when other branches decide on adopting the XM5 and XM250.

Full press release from SIG Sauer below:

U.S. Army Selects SIG SAUER Next Generation Squad Weapons System

NEWINGTON, N.H., (April 20, 2022) – SIG SAUER is honored to be awarded the Next Generation Squad Weapons System (NGSW) Contract by the U.S. Army after a rigorous 27-month testing and evaluation process.

“The U.S. Army is taking a bold step toward command of the 21st century battlefield and SIG SAUER is immensely proud to be the selected provider for this historic revolution in infantry weapons. The fielding of the SIG SAUER Next Generation Squad Weapons System will forever change the dynamic of military engagement for America’s warfighters with American innovation and manufacturing,” began Ron Cohen, President and CEO SIG SAUER, Inc.

The SIG FURY Hybrid Ammunition (6.8 Common Cartridge), SIG-LMG (XM250), SIG MCX-SPEAR Rifle (XM5) and SIG SLX Suppressors meaningfully advance soldier weapons technology to meet the emerging requirements of the U.S. Army.

The SIG 6.8x51 FURY Hybrid Ammunition uses a patented lightweight metallic case designed to handle pressures higher than conventional ammunition, resulting in dramatically increased velocity and on-target energy in lighter weapons.

The SIG-LMG lightweight belt-fed machine gun and SIG MCX-SPEAR Rifle are purpose-built to harness the energy of the SIG FURY 6.8 Common Cartridge Ammunition enabling greater range and increased lethality while reducing the soldier’s load on the battlefield. Both the SIG-LMG and MCX-SPEAR deliver significant weapon and technology advancements to the soldier and provide a solution for battlefield overmatch in comparison to the current M249 and M4/M4A1.

The U.S. Army’s procurement of the NGSW System marks the beginning of an era where combat weapons are coupled with a suppressor as standard issue equipment. The SIG SLX Suppressors are designed to reduce harmful gas backflow, sound signature and flash. SIG SLX Suppressors feature a patented quick-detach design for easy install and removal.

“We commend U.S. Army leadership for having the vision to undertake this historic procurement process to deliver a transformational weapon system to our warfighters. This award is the culmination of a successful collaboration between SIG SAUER and the U.S. Army, and we look forward to the continuing partnership,” concluded Cohen.

SIG SAUER is a company that is driven by innovation and we are proud to offer the advancements of the NGSW System in the SIG 277 FURY Hybrid Ammunition (the commercial variant of the SIG 6.8x51 FURY Ammunition round), SIG MCX-SPEAR Rifle, and the SIG SLX Series of Suppressors available to the consumer. For more information about these products visit sigsauer.com.