PETALING JAYA: Someone commented that I had cheated when I quoted Defense News in 2009 that the US Army was looking to replace the M4.
Yes, 2011 had come and the M4 remained in the service of the US Army. Did I cheated when I reported the story. Of course not, and had the complainant actually read the story, he or she will surely realise that I was merely quoting a US publication.
The publication did not bother to update the story so I didnt also but I had commented in Comments section that the carbine competition died mostly probably due to the US Army preference for a revolutionary approach to rifles ie they are looking for a direct energy weapon instead of getting a new kinetic energy rifle to replace another weapon.
But get this, the US Army is starting a new competition to find a new carbine! Again, I am quoting a story from the Army Times, a sister publication of Defense News.
I do not have any control over its veracity apart that its a different writer than the guy who used to write about this things back then.
If the M4 remained in service with the US Army in 2020 that does not meant I cheat, just read the bloody article, all right?
Army announces carbine competition details
By Lance M. Bacon – Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jan 31, 2011 11:35:13 EST
The Army has outlined the competition that will select the best new carbine — and one that ultimately will face off against the improved M4A1 in a battle to become your next weapon.
The overall schedule of competition, testing, production and fielding is approximately three years to first unit equipped.
–Malaysian Defence
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I thot it was standard knowledge for several years now the US military has been looking for a replacement weapon or weapons for the diff services and units such as the special forces units.
There are different platforms dicussed widely.
This is not new,whoever called u a cheat probaly is an idiot.
They have been dragging thier feet with all the wars going on,the decision was supposed to be last year then nothing.
So lets see what happens.
Whoever said you invented the story is an ignorant clown as even by 2009, it was widely reported that the U.S. Army had already started a search for an M-4 replacement.
In the several decades since 1957, we have gone from the Lee Enfield No.4 Jungle Carbine to the SLR,HK33,M-16,Steyr and M-4.Who’s to say that, that we wont make another switch anytime soon to given the state of Malaysia’s defence procurement policy…
Reply:
I will take the SLR into combat any time, fitted with a folding para stock and good optics of course. A reduced loading 7.62mm round will also be good for auto fire, in other scenario a normal 7.62 will do nicely…
Marhalim, I think it’s interesting how over such as short period the Sig-553 has been adopted by PASKAU, Gerak Khas, the JMF, MMEA and the army’s intel battalion. The local agent has certainly earned their keep and made their principal happy.
Forgot to add the Beretta AR-70 to the list and the M1 Carbines the army got around the mid-50’s.
Reply Its easier to sell things in small batches in Malaysia, the end user can buy direct from the preferred bidder. Only the MMEA Tactical Unit is using the SIG. The rest are equipped with M16s, hand-me-downs from the police and Army, I believe. They are testing the…….:) to replace these guns. Not SIG though…..
Thats right, my mistake, it’s the SG-553 and not SIG. The MMEA like the RMN I think also has SS-77’s.
Still on the subject of small arms. Marhalim, do you remember many months ago we discussed briefly the Beretta AR-70 and what units were issued with it? Found out from a former Ranger officer, the AR-70 was only issued to the 3rd Rangers and about 2 RMR battalions, officialy for trials.
Bearing in mind the 2nd Emergency was not as widespread or intense as other conflicts it suprises me that most ex-army and Field Force people I meet, who served during the 70’s and 80’s, had at one time or the other during their time in service, come under fire at least once.
The Swiss rifles are all of excellent quality and so are the german rifles.I have shot the M16, the SLR, SLRHB,Bren, Sterling, HP pistol,HK33. I love the HK for its balance and since the HK I handled has been modified-the spring has been cut,I had experienced no stoppages.The HK is still in production even today.Only thing is, its a bitch to clean as the chamber is really clogged up with soot after every shooting practice.The M16’s plastic furniture breaks too easily and is flimsy and the recoil upwards is rather strong too.The original SLR is too heavy and long and in a jungle environment is not good.Perhaps the gurkha version which is shorter is excellent.
The M4-yes the US army has done plenty of tests and its one of those with lots of stoppages and they did contemplate replacement and they even got teh Germans-HK to be precise to have a look at it and HK made an adapted version-the M416 which has better results as compared to the ori M4. Its also constructed using picatinny rails for lots of attachment.This HK version makes use of piston blowback as compared to direct gas blowback like the M16 and M4’s.Perhapds that is a better version that we should be looking at. Otherwise the swiss SiG are excellent but expensive rifles to buy.
The US Army had a defunct replacement program for M4/M16 called XM29 OICW (Objective Individual Combat Weapon) in late 90s part of their Future Soldier. It didn’t work out well so the 2 parts weapon module, the 5.56mm kinetic part spiral to become HK XM-8 and the 20mm air-bursting grenade launcher to be XM-25.
The XM-8 was cancelled due to formal complained by domestic industries due to the program exclusive arrangement with HK rather than competitive bidding.Leaves the Army witout a formal replacement program but acknowledge the long pending requirement. XM-25 is under final development. The Army program got nothing to do with the USSOCOM open bid SCAR requirement which is another program to replace the vulnerable M4 and saw FN Herstral won the program USMC M4 replacement which when to HK416.
So, our Army is using the newly old M4 for our Future Soldier. Hmmm!
It is official the US Army came out with a RfP for a carbine replacement end of Jan 2011. N as with the M16/M4 program, they will purchase the”technical data package” from the winner and award manufacturing contract to any domestic competitive manufacturers. This will avoid similar problem with the exclusive HK XM-8 program.