The Individual Weapons Program is a program to expand the training, testing, and issuance of small arms throughout the force. The current general policy towards small arms is that a single rifle, the M16A2, is the standard issue service rifle for the entire force. This policy of one size fits all limits the fighting effectiveness of infantry and support troops and can also be dangerous on the expected battlefields of the future. Weapons training and issuance should be viewed as three separate areas: Standard Service Rifle, Secondary Weapon, and Grenade Systems.
While small arms are not the sexy programs that most Pentagon types really get excited over, they are the tools that get the majority of the military’s mission accomplished. We have neglected small arms for entirely too long. A major investment in small arms is required now to keep our forces effective in the coming battles. Small arms are as critical to a soldiers survival as uniforms; as such, weapons will be assigned and follow the soldier from unit to unit for the duration of that soldier’s career. Performance with all three weapons will be evaluated annually and all three will be included in the promotion consideration process.
The Standard Service Rifle will not actually be a rifle but rather a series of specs that the individual’s rifle of choice must meet to be considered a Standard Service Rifle. With this program, there will be no single weapon used for all troops. Instead, soldiers will be able to choose a rifle available through the program that meets the specs of the SSR. Different troops will be more comfortable with rifles of different sizes and weights. Some may perform better with a shorter, lighter weapon. Others may do better with a heavier weapon and its inherently lighter recoil. Some soldiers have longer arms and thus require a longer stock; others are obviously shorter. Different sights can also make a tremendous difference in firing performance. The baseline specs for the SSR should be:
7.62mm Standard NATO caliber
Barrel compatible for firing Rifle-Fired Grenades
Selective Fire options including 3-round burst and full auto
Standard sight rail for compatibility with scopes
Side-mount bayonet lug for use with fold out bayonet spike/monopod
Picatinny rail under fore grip for mounting disposable grenade launchers
Some will argue the use of the 7.62mm versus 5.56mm and this is understandable. The bottom line is that the 5.56mm round has proven to be ineffective in the types of engagements we are expected to be involved in over the next decade or so. It lacks the range necessary in open terrain, it lacks the penetrating power necessary to engage equipment, and it is too likely to ricochet for effective close-quarters and urban use. For those units that truly need the 5.56mm (long range recon teams or paratroops that need the lighter weight as an example), it can be available as a secondary weapon.
Every soldier must qualify and select a secondary weapon of the .45 caliber submachine gun variety. As with the SSR, there should be a set of specs and the soldier chooses a weapon that meets the required specs. The Secondary Weapon is used in place of the SSR at the unit commander’s discretion. Additionally, a unit commander can assign an alternate Secondary Weapon as needed to meet unit requirements, i.e. a crew served weapon, sniper rifle, or a lightweight 5.56mm.
Grenade Systems
Soldiers should be trained and equipped to use a combination rifle-fired/hand grenades as well as disposable grenade launchers. These systems could be used with or without the SSR depending on the tactical situation.
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