The US Department of Defense announced that from the new year it will use a new service weapon in its armed forces.

According to AP, this new weapon will replace M4 carbines and M249 machine guns. According to Pentagon officials, new M5 automatic rifles and M250 SAW machine guns with a common 6.8 mm caliber cartridge system have begun to enter the American troops, which should replace, respectively, the M4 and M249 Squad caliber 5.56, as well as the M240 caliber 7.62 mm.

It is noted that the replacement process will take several years, the first to receive new weapons in early 2023 are operational melee units, including infantry, reconnaissance and sappers. Assault rifles and machine guns are equipped with a universal Picatinny rail that allows you to mount various shooting accessories (optical sights, etc.), as well as a two-way charging system that allows you to reload weapons with your left hand.

In addition, both the M5 and M250 are equipped with the NGSW-Fire Control computerized sighting system, which allows you to correct aiming and includes a laser rangefinder and a ballistic computer.

Both guns were manufactured under the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program announced by the Pentagon in 2017. Seven defense companies participated in the competition, as a result, the production of the M5 and XM250 went to SIG Sauer, the production of sighting systems – Vortex Optics, and Winchester will produce 6.8 mm caliber cartridges.