[Bart Noir]

This is from DefenseDaily.com:

The U.S. Special Operations Command has issued a presolicitation notice that it wants to procure Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifles (SCAR).

The SCARs will be developed in two versions, the priority SCAR-Light, 5.56mm, to use an enhanced magazine and a SCAR-Heavy, 7.62mm, which will have an open architecture design to accommodate changing calibers, said the notice in the Oct. 17 issue of Federal Business Opportunities.

The rifles must have modular barrels that can be exchanged within a goal of five minutes in three variants: standard, close quarters combat and sniper.

The two rifles must have the maximum parts in common to "create a family of SCAR weapons," the notice said.

Commonality reduces training time, improves mission effectiveness and the operator's "ingrained operational and emergency procedure autonomic responses that are critical during high stress situations," it said.

Offerers must provide sample SCAR-Lights as part of their proposals. The government could award multiple contracts for follow-on test and evaluation after an initial evaluation.

The contract is expected to be an eight-year, firm-fixed price indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity effort that could result in subsequent delivery orders.

Bart Noir

[Correia]

I know of a couple of US companies working on guns for this contract.

I can't give details because then they would have to kill me, but one of them that I know about is freaking AWESOME. :)

[gun-fucious]

i would guess Robinson Arms, Barrett, HK, Knights and Crane have a pot on the fire

[Kaylee]

What Correia said. :D

I think the big guys are pretty much evolving their current designs, but the little guys seem to be coming up with some pretty darned revolutionary stuff.

As long as a civvie version hits the market to, I'm happy. :)

-K

[Spark]

Sounds like a specification written with the G36 in mind.

[Correia]

Spark, not really. The HK is going to have to get revamped. Easily switchable barrels, and modularity between different calibers is very important to the SOCOM guys.

To my knowledge the "light" version is to be configurable from 5.56, 5.45, 7.62x39, and the new 6.whatever that they have come up with. The "heavy" will be normally in .308, but also switchable to a heavy duty WSM style cartridge.

Kaylee and I are lucky in that we get to occasionally hang out with cool people who know lots of stuff. :)