USSOCOM has updated the call for white papers issued in March of this year for their Lightweight Machine Gun – Assault effort with the following statement:
PEO-SW PM SOF Lethality has adjusted the LMG-A Prototyping Project. SOF AT&L-KR will no longer be moving forward with the prototyping effort. Instead, the Navy Crane Contracting office will restart the effort. That said, expect something to be announced by that office in the very near future.
This Other Transactional Agreement procurement effort was intended to seek out a life cycle replacement for the MK48 Light Machine Gun (LMG) chambered in 7.62 NATO, with the future intent to adopt other calibers such as 6.5mm Creedmoor, but not limited to, as a multi-caliber / intermediate caliber machine gun.
The system was envisioned to include a lightweight, belt fed, fully and semi-automatic weapon system, including a primary barrel, spare barrel, buttstock, receiver, sound/signature suppressor, operator manual, cleaning kit, operator tool kit, maintainer tool kit, spare parts kit, training munition kit, bipod, backup iron sights, and a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) approved locking hard carrying case
I recently saw the Ranger Regiment training with the Knights light assault machine gun, wonder how its been holding up in training.
They are being used by several units and are quite popular. Unfortunately, it’s a 5.56 gun and SOCOM wants a 7.62 gun which is naturally different than a 6.5 CM, 6.5×43, or 6.8 x 51 gun. If you want a 7.62 gun, it’s going to be heavier than any of the others. Other than the old .30-06 excuse I see no reason for SOCOM to continue to buy 7.62 guns if the future is elsewhere.
Knights LAMG is available in 7,62…!?
No
SSD, is there any particular reason why LMG-A might move from the Army SOF program office to Crane?
What do you mean by “Army SOF program office?”
Sorry, typo going between comments.
Is there a particular reason why LMG-A would move from PEO SOF to Crane?
Crane is the weapons development and program management execution arm of PEO SOF Warrior, just like the team at Natick handles all of the operator survivability programs.