Retired Army Maj. Gen. Bob Scales, who heads the secretary of defense' Close Combat Lethality Task Force, challenged industry and government leaders to do better and deliver a leap-ahead rifle in less than two years.
Army leaders are building a Next Generation Squad Weapon rather than field the M27, a rifle Marines have adopted as their Squad Automatic Weapon replacement and as a designated marksman rifle.
The M27 is being issued to all members of the Marine infantry squad instead of the M4. But subtle changes to the rifle could also solve small arms problems for both the Army and Marine Corps.