Special Operations Command wants a 10-pound 5.56mm machine gun

U.S. Special Operations Command is looking for a new machine gun that weighs about 10 pounds and fires 5.56x45mm NATO rounds, said Navy Cmdr. Joe Vermette, a spokesperson for the command.

The Flyweight Assault Machine Gun would replace the Mk 46  — a special operations variant of the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon  — which has been in service for about 30 years, Vermette told Task & Purpose.

“The goal is to replace the MK46 while integrating advancements in material, manufacturing, and technology to provide the operators with a technically superior weapon system that will allow an operator to effectively shoot, maneuver, and lay down suppressive fire,” Vermette said.

The command expects to award a contract for the machine gun in late next year, Vermette said. SOCOM also plans to start fielding the weapon in fiscal year 2028 after testing has been completed, he said.

The War Zone first reported in May about the effort by Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, to find a new lightweight machine gun for special operators.

The Navy posted a contract opportunity in June that outlined some of the other requirements for the machine gun, including a maximum length of 39 inches, which may be reduced to 35 inches; an effective range of at least 500 meters for area targets; a “quick-change barrel” that can be replaced in 30 seconds or less; a collapsable buttstock; and no stoppages in extreme cold and heat.

The weapon’s recoil should also be low enough that shooters can hit targets at its maximum effective range at both day and night, and it should be compatible with SOCOM’s Visual Augmentation Systems and Weapon Accessories, the contract solicitation says. 

Separately, the command is pursuing two other types of machine guns: The Lightweight Machine Gun-Medium, which fires .338 Norma Magnum rounds; and the Light Machine Gun-Assault, which chambers 7.62mm NATO rounds, Vermette said.

SOCOM is also looking to provide special operators with a new rifle. Vermette told Task & Purpose in May that the command expected to begin fielding MK24 Mid-Range Gas Gun-Assault this fiscal year. The weapon will replace the MK17 SCAR-H Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle-Heavy.

The MK24 features a “quick-change swappable barrel” that allows it to fire both 7.62mm and 6.5mm Creedmoor rounds, Vermette said at the time.

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