The promising American NGSW weapon system based on the M7 rifle and M250 machine gun in a new caliber received poor ratings during army tests.

The U.S. Army Operational Test and Evaluation Directorate reported on this.

The U.S. Army continues to evaluate the XM7 advanced assault rifle chambered in the new .277 Sig Fury cartridge and the XM250 handgun in the same caliber, which are intended to replace the existing M4 and M249 arsenal of infantry units.

During 2023-2024, a limited assessment of the destructive power of the 6.8×51 mm base ammunition was conducted, as well as a series of tests of the rifle system in cold weather and other climatic conditions.

Based on the data collected, the agency has formed preliminary conclusions that indicate the increased lethality of the new ammunition compared to the M855A1 (5.56×45 mm) round used by M4 rifles.

However, in addition to the advantages, a number of problems were identified: The XM7 with the XM157 sighting system demonstrated low reliability and inability to complete a 72-hour military mission without critical failure. Soldiers rated the XM157’s usability as “below average” or “unsuccessful.”

The XM157 is a sighting system with a ballistic computer from Vortex Optics, which is a key feature of the new system along with the transition to a new caliber. The optical device of small variable multiplicity is capable of making automatic sighting corrections thanks to a laser rangefinder, weather sensors and a digital compass. It also has a built-in wireless communication module for data exchange on the battlefield.

The report also recommends further improvements to the rifle and machine gun’s operational reliability, as well as further work to address design flaws to correct “harmful powder emissions.”

The NGSW in the 75th Ranger Regiment of the SOF

At the end of 2023, a batch of weapons was delivered to U.S. Special Forces units for trial operation and identification of deficiencies.

During the training, the soldiers studied the differences between the new weapons and the existing 5.56 mm M4A1 automatic carbine and M249 machine gun. Special attention was paid to increasing the lethality of the weapons.

After completing the training with the new equipment, the soldiers conducted a limited NGSW (Limited User Test). The test was conducted using the crawl-walk-run method, thus collecting operational data.

After the tests, one of the rangers from the 75th Regiment said that he was used to the M249 and felt it was faster, but the NGSW-AR made it more lethal. Some soldiers were critical of the new generation weapon. However, after discovering its potential during long-range combat, they changed their minds.

“When we first started the LUT, I was strongly against the NGSW-R. I was used to the M4 as it was lighter, I was used to the recoil, the shooting, everything the M4 has to offer. But when we went through the LUT with the NGSW-R, I saw the capabilities it provides to an infantryman, especially at longer range,” said Alpha’s Staff Sergeant Ivan Alvarez.