The Army’s New XM7 Assault Rifle is HERE .. What Will It Bring?

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

The Army’s Next-Generation Squad Weapon is here and slated to deliver this year, prior to heading into full production next year — a large scale development likely to impact the future of infantry, ground warfare and even tactics, doctrine and strategy to some extent. 

Building upon and seeking to improve the legacy of the M4 Carbine, the Army has after many years of study, analysis, prototyping, experimentation and critical soldier feedback .. selected and built a new weapon for Army soldiers. 

A huge emphasis with the new XM7 is close quarter combat and better enabling soldier to maneuver when in close contact with an enemy. The promise or value-added of the new weapon is believed to be extensive and wide ranging, as it seeks to correct some of the complexity and difficulties associated with the history of the M4 Carbine.  What are some of its critical attributes and how will it reshape combat maneuver.  

Infantry needs to move fast, turn corners, clear rooms and operate in uneven, complex terrain, so building a weapon that does not jam or malfunction is, quite simply a matter of life and death. 

The Army’s XM7 Arrives 

The Army’s new gas-operated, magazine-fed XM7 assault rifle is expected to arrive later this year and formally arm the operational Army by the 2nd quarter of 2024.

The Army’s SIG MCX Spear is a weapon designed by SIG Sauer and chosen for the service’s Next Generation Squad Weapons program, designed to replace the legacy M4 Carbine.