The two finalists in a US Army innovation challenge to develop concepts for a futuristic new precision grenade launcher have now publicly presented their designs. The service has for years been exploring options for a highly computerized 30mm Precision Grenadier System (PGS) that Soldiers could use to engage targets ranging from enemy personnel in cover to light armored vehicles to drones in the sky . This all follows the cancellation of work on the XM25 advanced 25mm grenade launcher, nicknamed “The Punisher” in 2018.

Barrett Firearms, best known for its .50 caliber M82 series riflesin collaboration with MARS, Inc., presented a model of what they currently call the squad support rifle system (SSRS) at the main annual conference of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) last month. FN America, the American subsidiary of the famous Belgian small arms company Fabrique National, had posted a model of his design PGS-001 at last year’s AUSA gathering. The SSRS and the FN PGS-001 were the models that would establish themselves at the top of the Army. xTechSoldier Lethality Challenge to “present their innovative concepts for a precision grenadier system” last year.

In its current form, the SSRS weighs nearly 14 pounds, measures just under 34 inches long, and fires 30x42mm projectiles from a five-round magazine. True to its name, it has the overall appearance of an oversized rifle, including a pistol grip, trigger assembly, and fire control selector that mimic all of those found on the rifle. AR-15/M16 Series Pistols.

The SSRS also has a mounting rail for optics and other accessories on top. The AUSA SSRS model was equipped with a Vortex Optics XM157, a 1-8×30 variable optic with a digital display overlay and other advanced features like a built-in laser rangefinder. The XM157 is defined to be the standard optic for the army’s new 6.8mm XM7 rifles and XM250 squad automatic weapons by Sig Sauer.

In terms of ammunition, Barrett had mock-ups of nine different rounds on display at AUSA, including dedicated high-explosive, incendiary, armor-piercing and training types. There was also a “close combat” (CBQ) round, which resembles a buckshot-like cartridge.

Specific details on the PGS-001 are more limitedbut it has a roughly similar layout to the SRSS and was also shown previously with XM157 optics installed. An important difference between the two is the particularly large muzzle brake on the FN design. This would help mitigate recoil, especially when firing multiple shots in succession, but would also create significant explosion, flash, and noise.

FN does not appear to have displayed ammo types with the PGS-001 at the 2023 AUSA convention.

In previous PGS procurement notices, the Army requested a family of munitions that would include a “counter-defilade cartridge” capable of “precisely and quickly defeating personal targets” behind cover, which would be a design to aerial explosion, as well as shielding. drilling types, CQB and drive. A shell dedicated to combating unmanned aerial systems (UAS) is also on the PGS requirements list.

Other previously stated PGS requirements include an overall length of 34 inches or less, a maximum weight of no more than 14.5 pounds, and an effective range of at least 1,640 feet (500 meters).

“The PGS will be a man-portable integrated weapons system that will enable precision engagements to destroy personal targets in defilade and in the open with increased lethality and precision compared to legacy M203/M320 grenade launchers,” according to a contract notice for February 2023. “The PGS will provide superiority over comparable threat grenade launchers in similar formations in future operational environments (jungle, urban, forest, underground, desert, day/night/dark). The PGS should include a weapon, fire control and ammunition suite that allows the user to engage targets in defilade/cover, hover UAS targets, pass through gates, engage targets of close combat and light armored targets.

THE M203 And M320 Mentioned here are the two 40x46mm single-shot grenade launchers, which the Army primarily uses as underbarrel attachments for existing M16/M4 series guns. The M320 can also be used in a standalone configuration. The maximum effective range of the M203 and M320 when firing typical high-explosive rounds is 1,148 and 1,312 feet (350 and 400 meters), respectively.

As we’ve previously reported, this isn’t the first time the military has pursued such a weapon. The primary operational requirements of the PGS are extremely similar to those that motivated the development of an advanced 25mm grenade launcher designated the XM25 and known as the Individual Semi-Automatic Aerial Explosion System (ISAAS) or Counter-Defilade Target Engagement System (CDTE) between the mid-2000s and late 2010s. Also nicknamed “The Punisher”, the XM25 comes from a previous next generation infantry weapons program called the Objective Infantry Combat Weapon (OPCW) which began in the 1990s.

Interestingly, given the requirements of the PGS to date, the 14-pound weight of the XM25 was cited as a contributing factor to its eventual cancellation, along with the physical bulk of the weapon and its cost (as well as that of its advanced programmable munitions).

A 2018 report of Stars and Stripes quoted an Army spokesperson as saying the service had obtained the rights to the XM25’s technical data set (TDP), as well as prototypes and munitions, prompting questions about whether the service could relaunch its development.

“The government does not own the XM25 TDP” and “development of the PGS will start from scratch but will incorporate lessons learned from the a virtual Industry Day 2021 event.

Although the SSRS and PGS-001 now appear to be the clear favorites in any final PGS competition, it is still possible that the Army will consider other designs, including even losing entries in the xTechSoldier Lethality challenge. American Rheinmetall ammunition, Knight Technical Solutions (not to be confused with Knight’s Armament Company), and Precision plumbing products had also submitted designs for xTechSoldier Lethality, details of which are limited. We know that Knight Technical Solutions’ Multipurpose Intelligent Grenade System (MIGS) is a six-shot revolver-style design intended to fit under the barrel of existing infantry rifles like the M203 and M320, while Plumb Precision’s Products. P3-M110 is another rifle-like weapon, but chambered to fire 17.5mm rounds. It is unclear whether the entry from the American Rheinmetall, called Squad Support Weapon Achieving Precision Grenadier System Objectives, is related to squad support weapon 40×46 mm 40 (SSW40) from its German parent company.

Regardless, the Army clearly has continued interest in a precision grenade launcher capable of engaging a variety of target types, particularly those from cover, with precision and at extended ranges compared to the M203s and M320. The service also explored improved 40mm ammunition types, including explosive bulletsto help meet these operational demands.

The inclusion of an anti-drone round in the planned PGS munitions family also highlights the growing threat posed by drones and the growing demand for ways to neutralize them within the U.S. military. For the PGS effort, the counter-drone requirement predates, but has already been adopted. also now completely validated by the ongoing war in Ukrainewhich made it possible to fully control the dangers posed by unmanned aerial systems in the dominant consciousness.

Overall, whatever design it might ultimately choose for the PGS, the military appears to want to finally succeed where the “Punisher” failed.

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