🚀 go-pugleaf

Though this might be of interest to some on the group:


ARMY REORGANIZES PLAN TO FIELD NEW FAMILY OF INFANTRY WEAPONS
Published By:  Inside the Army  on 4/12/2004
Author: Jen DiMascio

 The Army last week decided to reorganize the program developing a
successor to the M-4 and M-16 rifles, which will slow fielding of the
kinetic energy carbine but speed development of the automatic weapons
attachment, according to a service official.

 The decision comes on the heels of an Army request to Congress for an
additional $26 million to purchase 7,000 weapons for two combat brigade
teams by September 2005 as part of the serviceŒs list of unfunded
requirements.

 "This has everything to do with getting a product to the field in
FY-05," said Col. Michael Smith, the ArmyŒs project manager for soldier
weapons. "This is production money theyŒre asking for."

 If Congress disregards the ArmyŒs request, the program office could
still field the weapon in FY-05, but itŒs likely the quantity would be
smaller, he said.

 After an Army review this week, officials decided the XM-8 carbine
program should head to a "milestone C" review in February 2005.
Initially, officials planned to make a full-rate production decision in
September 2004.

 The Army wants to field the entire family of XM-8 rifles and not just
the first three variants -- the compact, the carbine and the
sharpshooter. The new schedule accounts for the automatic rifle, which
had not been scheduled for fielding until FY-06.

 Testing was originally planned for spring 2005; now, Smith said he
expects to see a prototype of the automatic this summer or early fall
and testing to begin this fall.

 Fielding the XM-8 as a family will enable squads to reconfigure their
weapons all at once and eliminate existing inconsistencies that are
found in some infantry units, Smith said. Army units currently need
three different weapons and manuals.

 "In other words, except for the barrels and the hand guards, the inner
workings of those various weapons -- the XM-8 carbine, sharpshooter and
the automatic rifle -- are the same," Smith said. "So you reduce the
logistics burden and give [the soldiers] the ability to switch parts
around."

 At this point, the weapons must complete testing. The XM-8 recently
underwent cold weather tests in Alaska. Resulting changes are due to
appear in a modified rifle this May.

 The modifications include ergonomic alterations, such as changing
button positions on the sight, which will make the weapon more user
friendly, as well as performance enhancements, such as extending the
life of the battery to 400 hours from 200.

 While the weapon performed well in cold weather, Smith said he
confirmed a problem with the hand guard that appeared in technical
testing. During sustained firing, the hand guard could melt, a problem
common in small arms development, Smith said.

 "If you put enough rounds through a weapon, your barrel will go hot.
ThereŒs no question about it. It will get very, very hot," he said.

 The XM-8Œs hand guard suffered for a few reasons. The XM-8 only
transfers heat to the barrel and doesnŒt transfer any to the receivers.
The hand guard is made from a heat-resistant material. The current rifle
systems transfer heat to the barrel as well as the receivers, and it
contains heat shielding.

 Similar heat shielding would be a last option for the XM-8, because the
technology adds weight, a prospect Smith said he is trying avoid.
According to a comparison chart published by contractor Heckler & Koch
Defense, Inc., the XM-8 carbine weighs 6.4 pounds but is trying to slim
down to 5.7 pounds. The same chart indicates that the M-4 weighs 8.85
pounds.

 In crafting a new hand guard that will appear on the version released
in May, developers will use a different lightweight heat resistant
material and change the design. It will be shorter, wider and contain
holes to release hot air, Smith said.

 Another round of tests to monitor the new fixes will follow, along with
a late-summer hot weather test in Yuma, AZ.

 At the same time, Training and Doctrine Command is reviewing and
updating the projectŒs requirements and developing a set of tactics,
techniques and procedures for the XM-8 family of weapons.

 During the summer of 2005, a team of officials from program executive
office soldier weapons, sustainment specialists from Rock Island, IL,
and officers from TRADOC will replace a unitŒs weapons, magazines,
manuals and accessories with the XM-8 and begin training the soldiers.
The process should wrap up in September 2005, Smith said.

 Although many divisions are calling to see whether they will be picked
to receive the weapons first, Smith said the decision has not been made.
The only hint is that the test would be conducted on a brigade combat
team with a Stryker brigade as one possibility, he said.

 Copyright Inside the Army: reprinted with permission.
www.InsideDefense.com


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