Overview
U.S. Special Operations Command has cancelled its in-house Lightweight Machine Gun–Assault (LMG‑A) prototyping project and transferred the effort to the Navy’s Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division, according to a December 7, 2025 special notice and subsequent reporting on December 8. The SOF Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics–Kinetic Requirements office (SOF AT&L‑KR) stated that it will “no longer be moving forward with the prototyping effort,” and that Navy Crane’s contracting office will restart the program.
LMG‑A was conceived as a lightweight, belt‑fed, multi‑caliber assault machine gun to replace or supplement SOCOM’s Mk48 7.62×51 mm gun and potentially other legacy systems, with white‑paper calls issued in early 2025 and an envisioned follow‑on production contract worth up to roughly $53 million. The abrupt cancellation comes as the U.S. Army fields its 6.8×51 mm Next Generation Squad Weapons (XM7 rifle and XM250 automatic rifle), raising questions about whether SOCOM will pursue a unique belt‑fed LMG‑A, converge on Army systems, or use NSWC Crane to broker a hybrid approach that aligns calibers, logistics, and special‑operations requirements.
Key Indicators
People Involved
Organizations Involved
USSOCOM is the unified combatant command responsible for organizing, training, and equipping U.S. special operations forces across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
SOF AT&L‑Kinetic Requirements is the SOCOM office that manages acquisition activities for lethal systems, including small arms and munitions.
NSWC Crane is a Navy research, development, test, and evaluation center that supports expeditionary warfare, electronic warfare, and strategic missions, with a long history of small‑arms development in support of SOCOM.
PEO Soldier is responsible for the development, fielding, and sustainment of most of the Army’s individual weapons, protective gear, and related systems.
SIG Sauer is a major U.S.-based firearms manufacturer that has won several flagship U.S. military small‑arms competitions over the last decade.
Timeline
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Public reporting highlights LMG‑A cancellation and speculates on NGSW convergence
Media AnalysisDefence Blog reports on SOCOM’s decision to cancel LMG‑A prototyping under SOF AT&L‑KR and transfer it to Navy Crane, noting the rarity of SOCOM withdrawing from a public weapons program mid‑stream and suggesting the move may reflect a pivot toward systems aligned with the Army’s NGSW and 6.8×51 mm caliber.
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SOCOM cancels LMG‑A prototyping and transfers effort to NSWC Crane
Program CancellationSpecial Notice H9240325F00XX7Dec25LMG‑ACancel is posted, stating that PEO‑SW PM SOF Lethality has adjusted the LMG‑A project and that SOF AT&L‑KR will not move forward with prototyping. It instructs industry to watch for a restart by Navy Crane’s contracting office, naming Mr. Scotland McKinzie as point of contact.
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National Guard units test NGSW systems
Capability FieldingNorth Carolina National Guard’s 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team conducts qualifications with XM7 and XM250 at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, demonstrating that NGSW adoption is spreading beyond active‑duty formations and locking in long‑term 6.8×51 mm sustainment.
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101st Airborne becomes first unit to field XM7 and XM250
Capability FieldingThe 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell receives XM7 rifles, XM250 automatic rifles, and XM157 optics, marking the first official NGSW fielding and cementing 6.8×51 mm as an operational reality.
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NGSW weapons tested in extreme cold as fielding nears
Operational TestingArmy units test the XM7 and XM250 at the Cold Regions Test Center in Alaska, validating performance in -35°F conditions and underscoring NGSW’s impending fielding to close‑combat forces, including special operations, which will influence SOCOM’s small‑arms roadmap.
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LMG‑A white‑paper deadline extended
Program AdjustmentSOCOM updates the LMG‑A solicitation, extending the white‑paper submission deadline from March 21 to April 4, 2025, and clarifying that the effort is an OTA prototype project aimed at a SOF‑peculiar weapon system for ground forces.
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SOCOM issues OTA Call for White Papers for LMG‑A
SolicitationSOF AT&L‑KR posts solicitation H9240325R00XX21Feb25LMG‑A, seeking white papers for a prototype lightweight, belt‑fed, multi‑caliber assault machine gun system, with components including barrels, suppressor, spares, and TSA‑approved hard case. The effort contemplates a 10‑year follow‑on production ordering period.
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SOCOM announces LMG‑A Industry Day
Market ResearchUSSOCOM publishes a notice for an LMG‑A Industry Day at SOFWERX in Tampa on November 19–20, 2024, to refine requirements and identify interested manufacturers for a Lightweight Machine Gun–Assault intended to replace the Mk48 and extend suppressive fire range to 1,500 meters.
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Industry showcases .338 NM LMG‑M candidates for SOCOM
Industry DevelopmentOhio Ordnance Works teases its REAPR.338 Norma Magnum machine gun ahead of SHOT Show, explicitly positioning it to exceed SOCOM LMG‑M specifications, while True Velocity promotes its RM338 (formerly LWMMG) and SIG continues to refine its MMG 338. These parallel efforts highlight an intense competition to supply SOCOM’s medium machine‑gun requirement.
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Army selects SIG XM7 and XM250 under NGSW
Acquisition DecisionThe Army awards SIG Sauer the NGSW weapons contract for the XM7 rifle and XM250 automatic rifle, and Vortex the XM157 fire control contract, adopting 6.8×51 mm ammunition produced by Winchester. This anchors 6.8 mm as the Army’s future small‑arms caliber.
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SOCOM certifies and begins receiving SIG MG 338 (.338 Norma) systems
Capability FieldingSIG Sauer announces that USSOCOM has completed safety certification for the MG 338 machine gun,.338 Norma Magnum ammunition, and next‑generation suppressors and has taken delivery of multiple systems under what SOCOM designates as the Lightweight Machine Gun–Medium (LMG‑M) effort.
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Army launches Next Generation Squad Weapon program
Program LaunchThe U.S. Army initiates NGSW to replace the 5.56 mm M4 carbine, M249 SAW, and eventually some 7.62 mm systems with a 6.8 mm weapon family and advanced fire-control optics, setting the stage for a major caliber shift that SOCOM must later account for.
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SOCOM fields Mk48 as lightweight 7.62×51 mm machine gun
Capability FieldingThe Mk48, a scaled‑up variant of the M249 SAW, enters SOCOM service as a lightweight 7.62×51 mm belt‑fed machine gun, improving portability over earlier M60 variants but with limited growth margin. It later becomes the primary legacy system LMG‑A seeks to replace.
Scenarios
Navy Crane Re‑launches LMG‑A as a Multi‑Caliber but NGSW‑Aligned Assault Machine Gun
Discussed by: Defence Blog, small‑arms analysts at The Firearm Blog and Small Arms Defense Journal, industry bid-tracking services
Under this scenario, NSWC Crane issues a fresh solicitation in 2026 that preserves the core LMG‑A concept—a lightweight, belt‑fed assault machine gun with a 1,500 m suppressive‑fire requirement—but more explicitly aligns caliber options with the Army’s 6.8×51 mm ecosystem. The objective statement already references interest in compatibility with high‑pressure 6.8×51 mm and.264 LICC via conversion kits, alongside 7.62×51 mm and 6.5 Creedmoor. Navy Crane’s engineering depth and existing.338 NM optics and small‑arms efforts would allow it to orchestrate a modular weapon that can share logistics with NGSW while meeting unique SOF range and mobility needs. The December 7 notice explicitly tells vendors to expect a new Crane‑run effort “in the very near future,” reinforcing this likelihood.
SOCOM Converges on Existing XM250 and MG 338, Letting LMG‑A Fade
Discussed by: Defence Blog commentary, RECOIL’s coverage of SIG’s MMG 338 program, broader defense‑trade press
Here, SOCOM decides that running a separate LMG‑A program is redundant given fielded or near‑fielded systems. The Army’s XM250 already provides a 6.8×51 mm belt‑fed LMG designed for close‑combat forces including special operations. Meanwhile, SOCOM has MG 338/LMG‑M candidates in.338 Norma Magnum for extended‑range medium‑machine‑gun roles. Under budget and manpower pressures, SOCOM could adopt XM250 as its assault LMG and MG 338 (or a competitor) as its medium gun, relying on Crane only for accessories, optics, and incremental upgrades rather than a brand‑new LMG‑A system. This outcome would favor rapid standardization and lower sustainment costs but reduce SOCOM’s ability to field a radically lighter, multi‑caliber assault gun.
Program Drift: LMG‑A Stalls in Bureaucratic Limbo, Mk48 and Ad Hoc Upgrades Persist
Discussed by: Industry bid-tracking platforms (HigherGov, SweetspotGov) and analysts noting the gap between solicitations and fielded systems
A less favorable scenario is that transferring LMG‑A to Navy Crane slows momentum. SOCOM has already paused and restarted its assault LMG requirement multiple times over the past decade, and the December 2025 cancellation may signal unresolved disagreements over caliber, weight, and role relative to NGSW and LMG‑M. If requirements continue to evolve faster than budgets and acquisition pathways, Crane might focus on incremental modifications—Mk48 upgrades, 6.5 Creedmoor barrel kits, improved optics and suppressors—rather than pushing a clean‑sheet LMG‑A into production. In this case, SOF gunners could be left using Mk48 derivatives and a mix of XM250s or MG 338s without a purpose‑built assault machine gun for several more years.
Broader Re‑think of U.S. Small‑Arms Modernization, with LMG‑A as Testbed
Discussed by: Comparative analysis in outlets covering LSAT and NGSW, think-tank commentary on overmatch and logistics
As the Army and SOCOM accumulate data from NGSW fielding—especially around weight, recoil, and ammunition logistics—DoD could reassess how far to push high‑pressure 6.8×51 mm across the force. Earlier programs like LSAT demonstrated dramatic weight savings but never became programs of record, eventually giving way to NGSW. If NGSW proves more burdensome than expected or if new polymer‑cased or telescoped ammunition matures, LMG‑A under Crane could become a sandbox for alternative calibers (.264 LICC, improved 6.5 mm CT derivatives) and ultra‑light designs. This would place LMG‑A at the center of a second‑phase modernization wave beyond the current XM7/XM250 architecture, though timelines and technical risk make this outcome highly uncertain.
Historical Context
OICW / XM8 Rifle Program Cancellation
1990s–2005What Happened
The Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) program sought a combined smart grenade launcher and carbine but proved too heavy and complex. After being split into separate components, the XM8 rifle emerged as a potential M4 replacement but was suspended in April 2005 and formally canceled on October 31, 2005 as the Army reevaluated its small‑caliber priorities and shifted to other efforts like LSAT.
Outcome
Short term: The Army retained the M4/M16 family and delayed large‑scale rifle replacement, focusing on incremental improvements and interim alternatives while joint requirements were reconsidered.
Long term: The cancellation cleared the path for later initiatives, including LSAT and ultimately NGSW, showing that even advanced replacement programs can be shelved if requirements, technology, and budgets diverge.
Why It's Relevant
LMG‑A’s abrupt cancellation at SOCOM and transfer to Navy Crane resembles the XM8 experience: an ambitious small‑arms effort paused mid‑stream as the services reconsidered calibers, joint requirements, and acquisition risk. It underscores that a program can be technically promising yet still be restructured or subsumed into broader modernization campaigns.
Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) Program
2004–2018What Happened
The LSAT program, launched in 2004 under the Joint Service Small Arms Program, developed ultra‑light machine guns and rifles using polymer‑cased and caseless telescoped ammunition, achieving roughly 40% weight reductions and strong soldier feedback in trials. Despite reaching high technology‑readiness levels and demonstrating 6.5 mm CT ammunition, LSAT never transitioned into a program of record. In 2018 the Army initiated a different path—the NGSW program—to replace the M249 and M4 using a 6.8 mm bullet and more conventional architectures, effectively superseding LSAT.
Outcome
Short term: LSAT delivered influential prototypes and data, but no fielded system, as the Army opted for a more traditional NGSW approach leveraging industry competition and higher‑pressure metallic cartridges.
Long term: LSAT’s work on lightweight weapons and advanced ammunition indirectly informed NGSW and current debates about overmatch and soldier load, but its failure to field shows how radical designs can be overtaken by more incremental, scalable solutions.
Why It's Relevant
LMG‑A, like LSAT, promises significant performance gains—range, multi‑caliber flexibility, and potential weight savings—but faces headwinds from entrenched logistics, parallel programs (NGSW, LMG‑M), and acquisition caution. The LSAT experience suggests that unless LMG‑A clearly outperforms and dovetails with broader force structure needs, it risks remaining a technology demonstrator rather than a widely fielded weapon.
SOCOM’s SCAR Rifle Program
Early 2000s–2010sWhat Happened
To replace and supplement legacy M4/M16 rifles, SOCOM partnered with FN Herstal to develop the SCAR family: 5.56 mm Mk 16, 7.62 mm Mk 17, and a 40 mm grenade launcher. By 2010, SCAR had passed operational testing and entered Milestone C, with SOCOM confirming continued acquisition of both 5.56 and 7.62 variants despite rumors of cancellations.
Outcome
Short term: SCAR gave SOCOM a modular, mission‑tailorable rifle family optimized for SOF requirements, even as the wider Army stuck with M4 derivatives.
Long term: Over time, some SCAR configurations saw limited broader adoption, and SOCOM continued to mix SCAR with M4‑family rifles, illustrating a hybrid approach where SOF‑peculiar weapons coexist with general‑issue systems.
Why It's Relevant
SCAR shows that SOCOM can successfully field specialized small arms outside main‑Army programs when requirements justify it—an encouraging precedent for LMG‑A. However, SCAR’s mixed long‑term footprint also warns that SOF‑unique systems may remain niche, especially when parallel service‑wide programs (like NGSW) set the dominant calibers and logistics backbone.