Photo by Sebastian Saarloos | The U.S. Army Cold Regions Test Center organized a multi-week test
The United States Army conducted a critical evaluation of its new Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) under the harsh conditions of extreme cold, a recent statement revealed.
The tests were carried out at the U.S. Army Cold Regions Test Center (CRTC) in Fort Greely, aiming to ensure that the armament is up to the challenges posed by the harshest environments.
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The new weapons, including the XM7 rifle and the XM250 light machine gun, aim to outperform the current M4 and M249 in precision, range, and performance, while maintaining a reduced weight and more controlled recoil, despite using 6.8 millimeter caliber ammunition.
Soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division, stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, participated in the tests. They faced live fire exercises and field simulations over several weeks, testing the weapons under realistic combat conditions, including a rigorous simulated 72-hour mission at the CRTC facilities.
The low temperatures of Alaska, which reached -54 degrees Fahrenheit, served as the perfect environment to test the resilience and effectiveness of the weapons under extreme cold. A specialized data collection team, including members from the Yuma Test Center, Arizona, was present to monitor the performance of the weapons, battery durability, and overall efficiency under such adverse conditions.
The test results will provide valuable insights for future decisions on the deployment of these advanced weapons, marking a significant step in modernizing the arsenal of the American military.
Source: dvidshub
