Army to Start Fielding SIG M8 Next Gen Squad Weapon in December

The Army’s planned SIG Sauer-made replacement for the M4 Carbine is slated for delivery to troops before year’s end. As we previously reported, SIG won the Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon, or NGSW, competition in April 2022, securing a 10-year contract for two weapons chambered in the new hybrid 6.8×51 Common Cartridge. The weapons are intended to replace the Army’s 5.56 NATO small arms in front-line service. The rifle, initially designated the XM5 and now type-classified as the M7, is based on SIG’s MCX Spear platform and will replace the M4 and M4A1. The SIG LMG-6.8, adopted as the M250 light machine gun, will replace the FN-made M249 SAW. Now, the lighter, more compact XM8 is the Army’s rifle of choice, as shown by the service’s FY27 budget request, which debuted earlier this year, and by this week’s reporting from Military Times. The outlet reports the XM8 will reach troops in December, and SIG reps say the new rifle is far better than the “old” new rifle. “From our…