Broken into three time frames, the development strategy outlines a near-term 0- to 2-year window on small arms fielding, a short-term 2- to 5-year window of fielding and development, and a mid-term 5-plus-year window of development and evaluation.

The strategy’s near-term fielding window contains expanded M4 series carbine issue, expanded fielding of the M320 grenade launcher and M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System, a new rifle combat optic, continued fielding on the M110 Semi Automatic Sniper System (SASS), fielding of the M240L, and fielding of the M2A1.

The M2A1, as one example, is a lighter weight .50-caliber machine gun that will eventually replace every M2 in the field.

Far less specific on specific nomenclatures, programs on the 2- to 5-year horizon include individual carbine, subcompact weapon, long-range anti-personnel rifle, dual combat optic, heavy machine gun day optic, modular handgun system, suppressors, and new machine gun configurations.

Finally, the 5-plus year time horizon includes the XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System now receiving its initial theater field assessment, as well as a range of potential future weapon projects, such as advanced ammunition, advanced fire control, weapon concept commonality, and even potential lightweight small arms results from the JSSAST LSAT initiatives.

In fact, other presentations delivered during the NDIA symposium highlighted an array of “weight lightening” studies and initiatives taking place outside of the JSSAST umbrella.

One representative example has already been under way for several years. In July 2005, the U.S Government National Small Arms Center solicited the members of the National Small Arms Technology Consortium “for Lightweight Small Caliber Ammunition Program to reduce the overall weight of typical 7.62 mm caliber ammunition by at least 20 percent without reducing current performance, reliability, or operating conditions.”

While a 20 percent reduction falls well below the 36 to 52 percent ammunition weight reductions sought under JSSAST’s LSAT caseless/cased telescoped efforts, it could still provide a significant near-term benefit to warfighters. To quantify that benefit, a 20 percent weight savings would eliminate 5 pounds from the weight burden of a machine gunner carrying 400 rounds.

Unlike the dramatic technology departures of caseless or cased telescoped designs, the Lightweight Small Caliber Ammunition Program is looking at smaller changes to the 130-year-old brass cartridge case design, attempting to identify lighter cartridge case materials that exhibit the same expansion and contraction characteristics as brass.

Wrapping up the JSSAST symposium overview, Flynn noted that during his visits to both current combat theaters, he “made a point to talk to warfighters about ‘kit.’ And certainly small arms and ammunition were one part of that kit. And without question, overall I received positive comments. We all know that everything’s not perfect. But the good thing is that we, this community – the Army, the other services, OSD [Office of the Secretary of Defense]  – we’re listening. We’re taking those comments that are coming back from the field, whether they arrive as [operational need statements] or are fed back through the logistics community through FSRs [industry field service representatives], and we’re making changes. Those changes are getting into the field and the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines all recognize that. That’s a positive and that’s reflective of this community.”