For the first time in 60 years: US Army switches to a new 6.8 mm caliber (photo)

The US Army goes to a new 6. 8 mm caliber. The machine gun and assault rifle were entrusted with Sig Sauer. The 101st Airborne Division in Fort Cambelli (Kentucky) became the first part of the next generation rifles under 6. 8 mm caliber. For the first time in 60 years, the US Army will receive a completely new small arms with a brand new caliber. About it reports The War Zone.

Sig Sauer M7 and M250 machine guns came into the 1st battalion of the 506th infantry regiment, which is included in 101 airborne division. SIG SAUER won a weapon production contract at General Dynamics and Textron Systems. Additionally, M7 and M250 can get M157 optics, which increases the accuracy of rifles due to technologies. The M157 device has an optics with a variable increase to x8, a laser rangefinder and a ballistic calculator.

Rifle weapons are updated within the Next Generation Squad Weapons. The US Army is already replacing the iconic assault rifle M4 and the M249 machine gun. Their first versions came to the US army in 1965. Since then, many versions of M4, AR-15/M16 have been created and a number of other systems from a large number of manufacturers have been created. Officially, the army does not disclose how many new rifles came into the 1st battalion.