Next Generation Squad Weapon: How the Army Is Replacing the M4 Carbine and M249

What You Need to Know: The U.S. Army is preparing for potential conflicts, including with China, by equipping frontline units with new rifles and machine guns under the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program.

-These weapons, which use 6.8mm rounds, will replace the decades-old M16/M4 rifles and M249 SAW machine guns that fire 5.56mm rounds. Units in the Indo-Pacific region, including the 25th Infantry Division and the 100th Infantry Battalion, will be the first to receive these new weapons...