Yesterday at the Future Force Capabilities Conference presented by the National Defense Industrial Association in Austin, Army acquisition officials provided information about future weapon capabilities for the service’s Close Combat Forces.
Two of Program Manager Soldier Lethality’s focus areas are engaging targets in defilade and future Medium Machine Gun capabilities.
Precision Grenadier System
In the past, the Army has worked to develop a system which could effectively engage targets in trenches and fighting positions. Referred to as the XM25 “Punisher,” it was the result of the XM29 Objective Individual Combat Weapon envisioned in the mid-1990s as a weapon which combined a 5.56mm kinetic energy carbine tied to a 20mm air burst system, essentially a programmable grenade launcher. The OICW’s two systems were untethered with the carbine becoming the ill-fated XM8 carbine and the grenade launcher ,the XM25 Individual Semi-automatic Airburst System. Despite being tested in Afghanistan, this counter-defilade weapon wasn’t quite ready for prime time.
The Army still wants the capability but it became a lower priority for a time as the Next Gen Squad Weapons program went through down select. However, the Maneuver Center of Excellence is working on a requirement for a Precision Grenadier System. PGS is envisioned as a man-portable, counter-defilade, target engagement system that enables the squad to organically destroy enemy personnel targets in defilade with quick and precise engagements. PGS is a flat trajectory, high velocity, semi-automatic, multi-shot weapon system, with a firefight ending lethality and precision compared to the legacy M320 GL.
This slide shows how PGS enhances engagement over troops equipped with the M320.
PGS just completed the Commanding General Assessment Board on 31 August, moving it forward for requirement development which is expected to be published in 2024. It will be evaluated as a full system including ammunition, launcher and fire control. The requirement will be caliber non-specific but rather concentrate on effects on target.
The Army is also working to field Individual Assault Munitions. This slide depicts how the Army plans to field both PGS and IAM and how they will be used.
Medium Machine Gun
Now that the Army is on the path toward fielding new Squad Weapons and ammunition, it is looking at how it equips the Platoon. It is conducting the Platoon Arms and Ammunition Configuration Study which will inform decision makers on how best to proceed regarding a new Medium Machine Gun capability. It examines the full trade space of feasible combinations fire control, weapons and ammunition capable of performing in a dismounted and platform mounted configuration. The PAAC study should be published by 4Q23 with a decision on MMG in 2024.
Although it’s still a way out for the Army, USSOCOM is working on a Lightweight Medium Machine Gun program in .338 Norma Mag with the Marine Corps monitoring. The Army is holding off committing to any course of action until the PAAC study is complete. Options include a new caliber and weapon or perhaps just a new weapon in 7.62mm NATO or 6.8 Common Case as is used in NGSW.
Battalion Mortar System
An additional new capability that was briefed is the Enhanced 81mm Mortar which will be employed by units weighing Mobile Brigade Combat Teams within the 11th, 82nd, and 101st Abn Divs. The Battalion Mortar System’s E81C will replace the 120mm mortars one for one and offer increased mobility with less similar performance to the 120mm systems they are replacing. The goal is to provide greater range and lethality at H-hour rather than at H+4 as is now the case. E81C will be mounted on the Infantry Squad Vehicle.
