6.8 mm: The US Army wants a new caliber

Now it's official - the US Army is switching to the caliber 6.8mm for the replacement of SAW and M4. The two weapon systems are to find a worthy successor through the Next Generation Squad Weapon Program - SIG SAUER recently presented a new machine gun for this purpose. In this context, a new cartridge was also sought that would meet the realities of the modern battlefield.

Case Study Afghanistan

The new caliber, situated between 5.56mm and 7.62mm, is intended to provide controllable recoil while increasing range. Specifically, the US Army sought ammunition that should penetrate body armor up to a distance of 600 meters.

These requirements were based on theaters of operation such as Afghanistan. In the engagements from mountaintop to mountaintop in those areas, the 5.56mm caliber often has little effect on the target. The distances are simply too great. There is no talk of penetrating body armor at these distances either.

Search for a new ammunition: on the left the classic 5.56 NATO, next to it modern contenders. It looks like 6.8 SPC has won the race.

New Casing Material

The Army now believes it has found the "Sweet Spot" between 5.56mm and 7.62mm with the new caliber. Greater projectile weight and higher muzzle velocity than the "small" 5.56mm caliber; meaning: greater range, improved accuracy, and stronger penetration. The significant reduction in weight of the entire cartridge compared to the 7.62mm ammunition is achieved through a particularly interesting design decision: the shell will no longer be made of metal in the future. Instead, they aim to use lighter material.

Cautious Handling of Information

However, it is not yet known what exactly the new 6.8mm cartridge will look like. All previous information can only be derived from a few statements from the U.S. Army and solicitations for the Next Generation Squad Weapon Program.

Whether it resembles the 6.8mm Remington SPC developed in 2002 for the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), or if it even matches it 100%, which seems unlikely given the statements about a different casing material - is currently pure speculation. This is also because the US military naturally handles the publication of such information very carefully. After all, the enemy is watching.

Now it's just a matter of waiting and reading SPARTANAT. The first weapons in the new caliber are expected to be issued to the troops in 2021. We will keep an eye on the situation.