Army Troops Will Soon Get These Next-Gen Weapons for Close Combat

The U.S. Army will buy new automatic infantry weapons starting in 2022, replacing the existing M4 carbine and M249 squad automatic weapon. The weapons will include new technology, particularly a new, longer-range and lighter-weight bullet. The Army will purchase at least 100,000 of the new weapons for the troops most likely to see combat.

Defense News reports the Army has received 15 examples of prototype rifles, squad automatic rifles, and 180,000 rounds of ammunition from three companies: Sig Sauer, General Dynamics Ordnance, and Textron Systems (shown in the photo above). The Army also awarded contracts to Vortex Optics and L3/EoTech/Leopold-Stevens for advanced sighting systems. The first prototype test event concluded in September, and further tests are on the way.

The army will pick one rifle/optic combination for a contract worth 100,000 rifles. As Task & Purpose reported in April 2019, the Army has decided the weapons will “go to the top 100,000 that are in the close fight with the threat."

This likely includes U.S. Army Special Forces, Army Rangers, and conventional rapid-response light infantry, airborne, and combat engineer units.

The new rifle uses a new 6.8-millimeter round, replacing various 5.56-caliber rounds that U.S. Army rifles and carbines have used since 1965. The Army, concerned that the 5.56 has reached the end of the line in terms of lethality, range, and weight savings, decided it needed a newer, longer-range, but lighter round.

The 6.8-millimeter round will equip both the Next Generation Squad Weapon-Rifle, which is meant to replace the M4 carbine carried by most troops, and the Next Generation Squad Weapon-Automatic Rifle, which replaces the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a34386695/army-new-rifles-squad-automatic-weapon/

Raytheon Wins $239M Air Force Deal for StormBreaker Bomb

Raytheon Technologies Corporation’s RTX Missiles & Defense unit has recently secured a $239.1-million modification contract for the Lot 6 production of StormBreaker (SDBII, GBU-53/B). The contract was awarded by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, FL.

Per the deal terms, 6.3% of the contract value supports classified Foreign Military Sales (FMS). Work related to the deal will be performed in Tucson, AZ, and is expected to get completed by Nov 28, 2023.

Advantages of the StormBreaker Bomb

Raytheon Technologies' StormBreaker bomb, formerly known as the Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II), provides warfighters with the ability to hit moving targets in all-weather conditions, especially when the visibility is limited. The SDB-II is capable of three modes — a millimeter-wave radar that detects and tracks targets through all weather, imaging infrared for improved target discrimination and a semi-active laser allowing it to track lasers in the air or on the ground. Further, the weapon can fly more than 45 miles to strike mobile targets.

https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/raytheon-wins-%24239m-air-force-deal-for-stormbreaker-bomb-2020-10-16

The Army's Mind-Bending 1,000-Mile Cannon Is Coming. Could It Bring Back Battleships?

The U.S. Army is working on a new, long-range cannon it claims can reach out and strike targets at up to 1,150 miles. If the technology works, the Strategic Long Range Cannon (SLRC) promises the ability to fire 50 times farther than existing guns. But the new gun also has the potential to bring back a dormant class of big-gun warships once thought gone for good: the mighty battleship.

Earlier this year, Popular Mechanics published leaked photos showing the capabilities of the SLRC. With an effective range of 1,000 nautical miles—at 1,150 miles, that's about 1,130 miles farther than existing guns—the SLRC could be a truly revolutionary breakthrough in artillery warfare.

The Army hasn’t explained how it will reach such a mind-bending range, but it seems confident the gun will work as planned. A committee formed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is currently taking a look at the technology to determine its feasibility, and the service plans to test a prototype in 2023. The Army envisions the SLRC as a towed gun pulled by a heavy truck, using its range to blast a hole in enemy air and sea defenses big enough for U.S. forces to squeeze through.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a34384322/army-strategic-long-range-cannon-bring-back-battleship/