NEWINGTON, N.H., (June 1, 2020) – SIG SAUER, Inc. is proud to announce the recent delivery of the Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) system to the U.S. Army, consisting of lightweight high-performance 6.8mm hybrid ammunition, NGSW-AR lightweight machine guns, NGSW-R rifles, and suppressors.
“The SIG SAUER Next Generation Squad Weapons system is the only submission entirely designed, engineered and manufactured by a single American company. We are proud to deliver this comprehensive solution to the U.S. Army, with new capabilities to enhance mission effectiveness for our soldiers on the battlefield,” began Ron Cohen, President & CEO SIG SAUER, Inc. “Our ammunition, machine gun, rifle, and suppressors far surpass the performance of the legacy weapons system in range and lethality, offer exponentially better maneuverability, and are significantly lighter in weight.”
The features and benefits of the complete SIG SAUER Next-Generation Weapons Systems are:
SIG SAUER 6.8mm Hybrid Ammunition: designed to enhance mission effectiveness, this high-pressure, compact round combines a significant reduction in weight, with the ability to handle higher pressures resulting in increased velocity and greater penetration. Additionally, based on the cartridge design and the traditional manufacturing processes, the growth potential of the SIG 6.8mm ammunition is exponential.
SIG SAUER Lightweight Machine Gun (NGSW-AR): with an emphasis on significant reductions in soldier load and enhanced combat performance, SIG SAUER designed the NGSW-AR to be 40% lighter than current systems, and dramatically reduce felt recoil while maintaining traditional belt-fed operation to increase downrange capability. The MG 6.8mm machine gun features ambidextrous AR-style ergonomics, quick detach magazines, increased M1913 rail space, quick detach suppressor, and vastly improves upon the operation and function of the legacy M249.
SIG SAUER Rifle (NGSW-R): a lightweight rifle built on the foundation of the SIG SAUER weapons in service with the premier fighting forces across the globe combined with the added firepower of the 6.8mm round. Features include a fully collapsible and folding stock, rear and side charging handle, free-floating reinforced M-LOK™ handguard, fully ambidextrous controls, and quick-detach suppressor.
SIG SAUER Next Generation Suppressors: designed to reduce harmful backflow and signature that feature low flash with a quick detach design.
“I am very proud that every component of the SIG SAUER Next Generation Squad Weapons system was manufactured at our SIG SAUER facilities in New Hampshire and Arkansas and is entirely American made. Our engineers have worked in concert to optimize the system, ensuring that every component is synchronized, and our soldiers are equipped for the demands of the modern battlefield,” added Cohen. “Additionally, I would be remiss if I did not recognize the hard work and dedication of the entire team who worked tirelessly in these unprecedented times, in the face of a pandemic, to deliver the SIG SAUER NGSW system to the U.S. Army.”
Not sure about secret slush funds, but when it comes to awarding contracts, it is common practice that the active duty decision makers (the senior enlisted and officers on the selection teams) are quite often friends with (and prior battle buddies of) reps for the companies competing. These companies are where those same active duty selection team members will get jobs when they get out/retire.
Definitely a good ol boy network… but also a self-policing one. Reputations get you on the selection teams and if you advocate for an underperforming bid just cause your buddy is the sales guy, you would be actively f’ing over the upcoming operators, everyone on the selection team/committee will know it and your rep/future would be f’d.
Hollywood action movie fantasies about evil hordes of ex military contractors doing the bidding of corrupt secret corprate/govt cabals are all the rage, but in my personal observation, the guys in these companies bend over backwards to give the military good products/services.
So only “One Thing” matters here; Can this round penetrate 100%, modern Level 4 body armor at at least 200 meters or better 300 meters. This includes the new Russian Level 4 armor used recently in Syria.
As of today, only 50 BMG Ball, 338 Lapua AP can reliably penetrate this threat at 200 meters and perhaps more. The rare 5.5.6x45mm M995 Tungsten Core ammo can penetrate this armor only at 100 meters distance. Sorry Virginia, but Level 4 armor defeats 30-06 & 308 AP, so keep your M14/M1 Garand wishes to yourself.
Despite the GWOT and Hollywood snipers, most combat occurs 250 meters and under. Any new rifle or SAW systems needs to penetrate current body armor in use today. Otherwise, these defense contracts are basically pork to give us a slight advantage in the prior wars we have fought for the last several decades.
Likey the solution us a 5.56, 37 grain non-tungsten AP round with a muzzle velocity of around 4,000+ fps. The Ogive needs to be a Von Karman style for minimum drag. This will probably only get us 200 meters of penetration, but it better than zero.
The new SIG 338 Medium MG seems to be able to perform these tasks, but I doubt the standard lead core ball ammo will do it and that’s the ammo that really needs to perform, not some expensive “Special Ops” exotic round.
Nice!