FYI to all
Inside the Army
April 12, 2004
Pg. 3
Service requests $26 million for fielding
Army Reorganizes Plan To Field New Family Of Infantry Weapons
The Army last week decided to reorganize the program developing a successor to the M-4 and M-16 rifles, which will slow fielding of the kinetic energy carbine but speed development of the automatic weapons attachment, according to a service official.
The decision comes on the heels of an Army request to Congress for an additional $26 million to purchase 7,000 weapons for two combat brigade teams by September 2005 as part of the service’s list of unfunded requirements.
“This has everything to do with getting a product to the field in FY-05,†said Col. Michael Smith, the Army’s project manager for soldier weapons. “This is production money they’re asking for.â€
If Congress disregards the Army’s request, the program office could still field the weapon in FY-05, but it’s likely the quantity would be smaller, he said.
After an Army review this week, officials decided the XM-8 carbine program should head to a “milestone C†review in February 2005. Initially, officials planned to make a full-rate production decision in September 2004.
The Army wants to field the entire family of XM-8 rifles and not just the first three variants -- the compact, the carbine and the sharpshooter. The new schedule accounts for the automatic rifle, which had not been scheduled for fielding until FY-06. Testing was originally planned for spring 2005; now, Smith said he expects to see a prototype of the automatic this summer or early fall and testing to begin this fall.
Fielding the XM-8 as a family will enable squads to reconfigure their weapons all at once and eliminate existing inconsistencies that are found in some infantry units, Smith said. Army units currently need three different weapons and manuals.
“In other words, except for the barrels and the hand guards, the inner workings of those various weapons -- the XM-8 carbine, sharpshooter and the automatic rifle -- are the same,†Smith said. “So you reduce the logistics burden and give [the soldiers] the ability to switch parts around.â€
At this point, the weapons must complete testing. The XM-8 recently underwent cold weather tests in Alaska. Resulting changes are due to appear in a modified rifle this May.
The modifications include ergonomic alterations, such as changing button positions on the sight, which will make the weapon more user friendly, as well as performance enhancements, such as extending the life of the battery to 400 hours from 200.
While the weapon performed well in cold weather, Smith said he confirmed a problem with the hand guard that appeared in technical testing. During sustained firing, the hand guard could melt, a problem common in small arms development, Smith said.
“If you put enough rounds through a weapon, your barrel will go hot. There’s no question about it. It will get very, very hot,†he said.
The XM-8’s hand guard suffered for a few reasons. The XM-8 only transfers heat to the barrel and doesn’t transfer any to the receivers. The hand guard is made from a heat-resistant material. The current rifle systems transfer heat to the barrel as well as the receivers, and it contains heat shielding.
Similar heat shielding would be a last option for the XM-8, because the technology adds weight, a prospect Smith said he is trying avoid. According to a comparison chart published by contractor Heckler & Koch Defense, Inc., the XM-8 carbine weighs 6.4 pounds but is trying to slim down to 5.7 pounds. The same chart indicates that the M-4 weighs 8.85 pounds.
In crafting a new hand guard that will appear on the version released in May, developers will use a different lightweight heat resistant material and change the design. It will be shorter, wider and contain holes to release hot air, Smith said.
Another round of tests to monitor the new fixes will follow, along with a late-summer hot weather test in Yuma, AZ.
At the same time, Training and Doctrine Command is reviewing and updating the project’s requirements and developing a set of tactics, techniques and procedures for the XM-8 family of weapons.
During the summer of 2005, a team of officials from program executive office soldier weapons, sustainment specialists from Rock Island, IL, and officers from TRADOC will replace a unit’s weapons, magazines, manuals and accessories with the XM-8 and begin training the soldiers. The process should wrap up in September 2005, Smith said.
Although many divisions are calling to see whether they will be picked to receive the weapons first, Smith said the decision has not been made. The only hint is that the test would be conducted on a brigade combat team with a Stryker brigade as one possibility, he said.
-- Jen DiMascio
Inside the Army
April 12, 2004
Pg. 3
Service requests $26 million for fielding
Army Reorganizes Plan To Field New Family Of Infantry Weapons
The Army last week decided to reorganize the program developing a successor to the M-4 and M-16 rifles, which will slow fielding of the kinetic energy carbine but speed development of the automatic weapons attachment, according to a service official.
The decision comes on the heels of an Army request to Congress for an additional $26 million to purchase 7,000 weapons for two combat brigade teams by September 2005 as part of the service’s list of unfunded requirements.
“This has everything to do with getting a product to the field in FY-05,†said Col. Michael Smith, the Army’s project manager for soldier weapons. “This is production money they’re asking for.â€
If Congress disregards the Army’s request, the program office could still field the weapon in FY-05, but it’s likely the quantity would be smaller, he said.
After an Army review this week, officials decided the XM-8 carbine program should head to a “milestone C†review in February 2005. Initially, officials planned to make a full-rate production decision in September 2004.
The Army wants to field the entire family of XM-8 rifles and not just the first three variants -- the compact, the carbine and the sharpshooter. The new schedule accounts for the automatic rifle, which had not been scheduled for fielding until FY-06. Testing was originally planned for spring 2005; now, Smith said he expects to see a prototype of the automatic this summer or early fall and testing to begin this fall.
Fielding the XM-8 as a family will enable squads to reconfigure their weapons all at once and eliminate existing inconsistencies that are found in some infantry units, Smith said. Army units currently need three different weapons and manuals.
“In other words, except for the barrels and the hand guards, the inner workings of those various weapons -- the XM-8 carbine, sharpshooter and the automatic rifle -- are the same,†Smith said. “So you reduce the logistics burden and give [the soldiers] the ability to switch parts around.â€
At this point, the weapons must complete testing. The XM-8 recently underwent cold weather tests in Alaska. Resulting changes are due to appear in a modified rifle this May.
The modifications include ergonomic alterations, such as changing button positions on the sight, which will make the weapon more user friendly, as well as performance enhancements, such as extending the life of the battery to 400 hours from 200.
While the weapon performed well in cold weather, Smith said he confirmed a problem with the hand guard that appeared in technical testing. During sustained firing, the hand guard could melt, a problem common in small arms development, Smith said.
“If you put enough rounds through a weapon, your barrel will go hot. There’s no question about it. It will get very, very hot,†he said.
The XM-8’s hand guard suffered for a few reasons. The XM-8 only transfers heat to the barrel and doesn’t transfer any to the receivers. The hand guard is made from a heat-resistant material. The current rifle systems transfer heat to the barrel as well as the receivers, and it contains heat shielding.
Similar heat shielding would be a last option for the XM-8, because the technology adds weight, a prospect Smith said he is trying avoid. According to a comparison chart published by contractor Heckler & Koch Defense, Inc., the XM-8 carbine weighs 6.4 pounds but is trying to slim down to 5.7 pounds. The same chart indicates that the M-4 weighs 8.85 pounds.
In crafting a new hand guard that will appear on the version released in May, developers will use a different lightweight heat resistant material and change the design. It will be shorter, wider and contain holes to release hot air, Smith said.
Another round of tests to monitor the new fixes will follow, along with a late-summer hot weather test in Yuma, AZ.
At the same time, Training and Doctrine Command is reviewing and updating the project’s requirements and developing a set of tactics, techniques and procedures for the XM-8 family of weapons.
During the summer of 2005, a team of officials from program executive office soldier weapons, sustainment specialists from Rock Island, IL, and officers from TRADOC will replace a unit’s weapons, magazines, manuals and accessories with the XM-8 and begin training the soldiers. The process should wrap up in September 2005, Smith said.
Although many divisions are calling to see whether they will be picked to receive the weapons first, Smith said the decision has not been made. The only hint is that the test would be conducted on a brigade combat team with a Stryker brigade as one possibility, he said.
-- Jen DiMascio
