HK Gets U.S. Army Contract for Squad Designated Marksman Rifle
The U.S. Army wanted a harder-hitting round than the 5.56×45, so H&K is delivering. Heckler & Koch Defense Inc. will provide 5,000 to 6,000 complete 7.62×51 rifle weapon systems to the U.S. Army, which plans to deploy them as M110A1 Squad Designated Marksman Rifles (SDMR). The new weapon is a variant of HK’s G28/HK417 which shoots the 7.62×51 NATO round. The goal is to provide a weapon that can better defeat body armor. “The HK SDMR system will add much-needed capabilities to virtually every squad in the Army”, stated HK-USA Executive Michael Holley.
According to Military.com: “In May 2017, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told Senate Armed Services Committee members that the service’s current M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round will not defeat enemy body armor plates similar to the U.S. military-issue rifle plates such as the Enhanced Small Arms Protective Insert, or ESAPI.” Accordingly, the U.S. Army decided on a larger round.
The HK SDMR rifles will be an interim solution. The U.S. Military is working on a completely new rifle which will fire a higher-velocity 6.8mm round. Military.com explained: “In the long term, the Army is working with gun-makers to develop the new Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) that is slated to fire a special, government-produced 6.8mm projectile that promises higher velocities at greater ranges[.]” The military will develop two new 6.8mm weapon, one to replace the M249 squad automatic weapon and lighter replacement for the M4 Carbine.
New U.S. Army M110A1 Will Be Similar to this HK G28 Designated Marksman Rifle:
The new HK M110A1 rifles, which are manufactured in Oberndorf, Germany, will arrive in the HK facility in Columbus, GA early next year. There, HK-USA workers will install scopes and mounts purchased by the Army under a separate agreement. Additionally, HK-USA staff will kit the scoped rifles with additional accessories from 12 other US-based manufacturers to round out the complete SDMR weapon system.
This award, combined with the recent USMC M27 contract, solidifies Heckler & Koch as a major provider to the U.S. Military. Other recent HK major contracts of record include: U.S. Marine Corps – M27 Rifle; U.S. Army – CSASS/SDMR Rifle; French Army – 416 Rifle; British Army – SA80 upgrade.
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Tags: 7.62x51, Heckler & Koch, HK, HK 417 A2, M110A1, SDMR, Squad Designated Marksman, U.S. Army
Golly wow , gee whiz . It only took the Brass-hat paper shufflers almost four decades to figure out what every Nam-era Ground-pounder knew after the 1st patrol . High-powdered B.B. guns don’t kill . One more time around the circle .
What would 6.8mm have over 7mm? They are so close as to be indistinguishable.
You don’t have to create a new round every time you make a new rifle.
And why not select HK. Our big gun is the Rheinmetall Rh-120 on M1 tanks and Sig won our sidearm contract. I think we should select the new Mercedes G-Wagon to replace all Humvees.
But 270 is ‘Merican. 7mm is Europe.
And if you go 7mm then the British .280 comes back as a legacy issue.