FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – A brigade from the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell was the first unit equipped with the Army’s new Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) system today.
Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, accepted Next Generation Rifles and Automatic Rifles in preparation for New Equipment Training (NET) in April. NET is an in-depth, train-the-trainer course that prepares designated non-commissioned officers to facilitate follow-on training across the company.
“The process of developing and fielding new equipment is never without challenges and setbacks and speed bumps, so we’re celebrating the fact that we’re delivering on schedule, as promised,” said Lt. Col. Mark Vidotto, the NGSW lead for the Soldier Lethality Cross-Functional Team (SL CFT) at Fort Moore, Georgia. “It was a team effort from start to finish.”
The “start” was 2018, and the “team” included the SL CFT and their Program Executive Office Soldier partners, Joint Program Executive Office Armaments and Ammunition, Sig Sauer, Vortex and a number of other stakeholders who teamed to hasten development and production of the new system after the requirement was identified in a 2017 study that recognized the need for weapons that will perform better at range.
More than 25,000 hours have been invested by Soldiers during the development and testing of the NGSW system, which includes the XM7 Rifle, the XM250 Automatic Rifle, the XM157 Fire Control and the 6.8 mm family of ammunitions.
LTC Mark Vidotto, Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) requirements manager for Army Futures Command, LTC Eric Evans, Battalion Commander, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, CSM Ryan Jeffers, senior enlisted leader of the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, and MAJ Eric Forsgren, assistant product manager for the NGSW for PEO Soldier, pose for a group photo at an NGSW first unit equipped and unboxing event at Fort Campbell, Ky., March 28.
“The NGSW fielding is a culmination of a comprehensive and rigorous process of design, testing and feedback, all of which were led by Soldiers,” said Col. Jason Bohannon, project manager, Soldier Lethality, PEO Soldier. “As a result, the Army is delivering on its promise to deliver to Soldiers the highest quality, most capable small-caliber weapons and ammunition.”
Based on modernization schedules, the Army will field NGSW systems to a National Guard armored brigade in May.
Note from SSD: This came from Army Futures Command. It did not include a photo but few people read articles without photos. I included the image at the top from PEO Soldier’s PM Soldier Lethality. It was not taken during this First Unit Equipped event and only illustrates the XM250 Automatic Rifle. The optic shown is not currently part of the program of record. The previous test event with the 101st was considered first unit issued. Later in the day, PEO Soldier released the two additional images.