Command Sgt. Maj. Chad Stackpole fires a XM250 Fort Campbell 250923 CREDIT US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE — Command Sergeant Major Chad Stackpole gets behind an XM250 during a weapon familiarisation demonstration (Picture: US Department of Defense)

USA

First photos of US Army's new rifles in action

The US Army has released the first pictures of its Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) being field tested at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.

The Sig Sauer XM7 rifle and the XM250 automatic rifle were delivered to troops in the 101st Airborne Division as the first operational users of the new weapons.

They mark a generational shift, with the XM7 set to become the new personal weapon for soldiers across the US Army, replacing the M4 rifle, and the XM250 will replace the M249 squad automatic weapon.

Communications director Bridgett Siter, Soldier Lethality Cross-Functional Team at Fort Moore, said: "The XM7 has no fixed front sight post, allowing for full-length rail systems and eliminating a heat source that interferes with thermal weapon sights."

Fort Campbell Garrison Commander Col Christopher Midberry takes aim with an XM7 rifle 250923 CREDIT US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE — Fort Campbell Garrison Commander Colonel Christopher Midberry takes aim with an XM7 rifle (Picture: US Department of Defense)

"Both NGSW were purpose built and integrated to fire with visual and acoustic suppressors to improve survivability and command and control, and they have ambidextrous controls and improved operating systems.

"The XM250 incorporates a select fire system that allows automatic riflemen to maintain volume of fire in the team while improving their ability to do other tasks in semi-automatic mode."

The transition is not just about the introduction of new firearms, it is also a shift in ammunition calibre from the 5.56mm to the more potent 6.8mm – this decision was driven by the need for ammunition with improved armor-penetrating capabilities.

U.S. Army Fort Campbell Garrison Commander Col. Christopher Midberry fires a Next-Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) Machine Gun 250923 CREDIT US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE — The weapon has increased lethality at longer ranges compared to current Army weapons (Picture: US Department of Defense).

These new weapons are not only armed with the common 6.8mm ammunition, which includes government-supplied projectiles and specially designed cartridges, but they also come equipped with the cutting-edge XM157 Fire Control optic.

Crafted by Vortex Optics, the optic is equipped with a laser range finder, ballistic calculator, visible and infrared lasers, and even a compass, providing soldiers with unmatched precision and tactical advantages.

This pivotal shift to an "intermediate calibre" round marks a departure from the US Army's reliance, for more than half a century, on the 5.56mm ammunition.

These groundbreaking weapons are designated for close combat forces, including infantry, combat engineers, and select enablers like scouts and special operations units.

It comes as special operations elements of the British Army and Royal Marines are getting a new rifle – the KS-1.