The US military's efforts to upgrade its infantry arsenal appeared to get a boost last week, when a group of senators questioned two retired generals about the need for the change and the delays hindering it.
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The Army and Marine Corps want big changes for their infantry arsenals — and Congress seems to be on board
Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee have pushed for a speedy roll out of new infantry rifles for the US Army and Marine Corps.
A US Marine fires a M27 infantry automatic rifle during an exercise at Twentynine Palms, California, Aug. 18, 2016
Both the US Army and the Marine Corps are reportedly looking to replace the M4/M16 rifle platform, in use in various forms since the 1960s, as well as the 5.56 mm caliber bullet, in response to concerns about their effectiveness on the battlefield.
The M4, and the M16 before it, is "
Scales and retired Army Lt. Gen. John Bednarek both backed the changes.
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In addition to intermediate-size calibers, Scales said the military should look at a modular weapon that could be customized for different environments.
Scales and Bednarek both pointed to bureaucratic hurdles in the military's acquisition process as a main reason for the delay in getting a new infantry rifle.
Scales said the same process used to develop new fighter jets was being used to a new rifle, which is a much less sophisticated piece of technology. He also referred to the military's emphasis on internally developed materials, rather than pursuing technology developed commercially, as a hindrance.
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