XM250

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XM250
XM250 with inserted ammunition belt
TypeLight machine gun[1]
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service2022–present
Used byU.S. Army
Production history
Designed2019
ManufacturerSIG Sauer
Specifications
Mass13 lb (5.9 kg) (with bipod)
14.5 lb (6.6 kg) (with suppressor and bipod)
6.77 lb (3.07 kg) (100-round pouch)[2]
Length41.87 in (1,063 mm) (with suppressor)[3]
Barrel length17.5 in (444 mm)[4]
Caliber.277 Fury (6.8×51mm Common)
ActionGas-operated
Rate of fire~800 rounds/min
Feed system30, 50, 100, or 200 rounds semi-rigid pouches
An officer from Fort Campbell fires an XM250.

The XM250 is the U.S. military designation for the SIG LMG 6.8, a 6.8×51mm (.277 in), gas-operated, belt-fed, light machine gun designed by SIG Sauer for the U.S. Army's Next Generation Squad Weapon Program in 2022 to replace the M249 light machine gun. The XM250 light machine gun features a free-floating reinforced M-LOK handguard for direct accessory attachment onto the "negative space" (hollow slot) mounting points.

The XM250 began fielding in March 2024.[5]

History[edit]

In January 2019, the United States military began the Next Generation Squad Weapon Program to find replacements for the M4 carbine and M249 light machine gun. In September 2019, SIG Sauer submitted their designs.[6] The XM250's design was an offshoot of the MG 338 which SIG was also developing for SOCOM.[7] The XM250 light machine gun and XM7 rifle were designed to fire the 6.8×51mm SIG Fury cartridge in response to concerns that improvements in body armor would diminish the effectiveness of common battlefield rounds such as the 5.56×45mm NATO (used in the M4 carbine and M249 light machine gun) and 7.62×51mm NATO.[8][9][10]

On 19 April 2022, the United States Army awarded a 10-year contract to SIG Sauer to produce the XM250 machine gun, along with the XM7 rifle, to replace the M249 light machine gun and M4 carbine, respectively.[11][12] The names were chosen as the next numbers sequentially to the weapons they will replace (the rifle was originally designated the XM5, but was later changed to XM7). The first batch of twenty-five XM7s and fifteen XM250s were planned to be delivered in late 2023. In total, the Army plans to procure a total of 107,000 XM7s and 13,000 XM250s for close combat forces. The contract has the capacity to build additional weapons should the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Special Operations Command choose to be included.[13]

The XM250 light machine gun weighs 13 lb (5.9 kg), or 14.5 lb (6.6 kg) with a suppressor. It has a basic combat load of 400 rounds in four 100-round pouches weighing 27.1 lb (12.3 kg). Compared to the M249 light machine gun weighing 19.2 lb (8.7 kg) unsuppressed, with a basic combat load of 600 rounds in three 200-round pouches, weighing 20.8 lb (9.4 kg), the XM250 light machine gun weighs about 4 lb (1.8 kg) less and a gunner carries roughly a 1 lb (0.45 kg) heavier load with 200 fewer rounds. The barrel on the XM250 light machine gun is not considered to be a quick-change barrel and the stock is collapsible but non-folding.[2][4][13]

The XM250 light machine gun was delivered to soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division and 75th Ranger Regiment in September 2023 for user tests.[14] 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division officially began fielding it in March 2024.[5]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Reinsch, Michael (13 May 2022). "NGSW signifies an evolution in Soldier lethality". U.S. Army. Archived from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  2. ^ a b Beynon, Steve (2 May 2022). "How Well Do the Army's New Guns Perform? That's Classified, But Soldiers Will Carry More Weight, Less Ammo". Military.com. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022.
  3. ^ Popenker, Maxim. "SIG Sauer NGSW-R MCX Spear XM5 assault rifle (USA)". Modern Firearms. Archived from the original on 22 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b Moss, Matthew (16 May 2022). "US Army Shares Details on Next Generation Squad Weapons". The Firearm Blog. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022.
  5. ^ a b 101st Airborne first Army unit to field Next Generation Squad Weapons. Army Times. 29 March 2024.
  6. ^ Moss, Matthew (19 April 2022). "SIG Sauer Wins US Army Next Generation Squad Weapon Contract". Overt Defense. Archived from the original on 20 April 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  7. ^ "SIG Range Day 19 – SL MAG, SIG's New 338 Machine Gun". Soldier Systems Daily. 20 January 2019. Archived from the original on 25 January 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  8. ^ South, Todd (19 April 2022). "Army chooses SIG Sauer to build its Next Generation Squad Weapon". Army Times. Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  9. ^ Schogol, Jeff (19 April 2022). "Army selects SIG Sauer to produce Next Generation Squad Weapon and ammo". Task & Purpose. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  10. ^ Mizokami, Kyle (21 April 2022). "The Army's Next-Gen Infantry Weapons Will Be More Lethal and More Accurate". Popular Mechanics. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  11. ^ Beynon, Steve (19 April 2022). "Army Picks Its Replacement for the M4 and SAW". Military.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  12. ^ "Army awards Next Generation Squad Weapon contract". U.S. Army. 19 April 2022. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022.
  13. ^ a b South, Todd (20 April 2022). "Army expects Next Generation Squad Weapon to get to its first unit by next year". Army Times. Archived from the original on 18 May 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  14. ^ South, Todd (20 December 2023). "Army to field new rifle, machine gun and optic in 2024". Army Times. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024.

External links[edit]

  • Media related to XM250 at Wikimedia Commons
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