DMR
10-05-09, 08:21
Finaly released "Breaking news from AUSA 2009":
By matthew cox, Army Times
Published: 30 Sep 12:43 EDT (16:43 GMT)
Soldiers could have a new carbine by 2012, unless a Congressional budget impasse slows it down.
The Army requested $9.9 million for fiscal 2010, money needed to start the solicitation process for a competition that stands to draw dozens of small arms companies waiting for the chance to unseat the M4 as the Army's primary soldier weapon.
In July, the service took control of the design rights to the M4 carbine from its sole maker, Colt Defense LLC. The transition of ownership of the M4 technical data package marked the end of an era and Colt's exclusive status as the only manufacturer of the M4 for the U.S. military for the past 15 years.
The transfer of the licensing agreement also frees up the Army to give other companies a crack at a carbine contract.
Last November, Army senior leadership announced the service's intent to open a competition for a new carbine this fall. Then Army Secretary Pete Geren directed the Army's Infantry Center at Fort Benning, Ga., to update the carbine requirement in preparation for a search for a replacement for the M4.
At the same time, the Army is slated to finish fielding the last of its 473,000 M4 requirement some time next year.
Small-arms companies waiting for the chance to compete for the Army's next carbine view Colt's loss of the M4 TDP as a new beginning for the industry and for soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Now that the sole-source era is over, we hope to see free and open competition of any interim or long-term solution for the service rifle or carbine for the American soldier," said Jason Schauble, vice president of the military products division of Remington. "Now there is a chance to get something better in the hands of the soldier."
The company displayed the latest version of the Adaptive Combat Rifle at the International Infantry & Joint Services Small Arms Symposium in May.
Army officials stressed throughout the symposium, however, that the service has to evaluate more than just the weapon. The larger equation also includes the soldier training, optics and ammunition, Brig. Gen. Peter Fuller, commander of Program Executive Office Soldier, said at the symposium.
"We have to recognize that it all combines together," he said.
The M4 became the subject of congressional scrutiny in 2007 when lawmakers expressed concern about whether soldiers had the best available weapon.
In November 2007, the weapon finished last in an Army reliability test against other carbines. The M4 suffered more stoppages than the combined number of jams by the other three competitors: the Heckler & Koch XM8; FNH USA's Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle, or SCAR; and the H&K 416.
Army weapons officials agreed to perform the dust test after a July 2007 request by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. Coburn took up the issue after a Feb. 26, 2007, Army Times report on moves by elite Army special operations units to ditch the M4 in favor of carbines they consider more reliable.
U.S. Special Operations Command began fielding the first SCARs to its elite forces this spring. The command decided to move away from the M4 in November 2004 when the command awarded a developmental contract to FN Herstal to develop its SCAR to replace its M4s and older M16s.
Of course, the Army's plan to replace the M4 carbine is on hold until Congress can agree on a budget plan for fiscal 2010. Unable to resolve differences over the 2010 Defense Appropriations Bill by Oct. 1 - the start of the new fiscal year - lawmakers approved a continuing resolution to maintain 2009 funding levels for 31 days, or until the 2010 defense appropriations act is passed by lawmakers and signed by the president.
For Col. Doug Tamilio, the budget setback means he cannot launch a competition to search for a new carbine until Congress approves 2010 "new start" funding.
"Until funding is allocated and appropriated, I really don't have new start approval for a carbine competition," said Tamilio, who runs Project Manager Soldiers Weapons.
Despite the funding delay, Tamilio said "the Army is still fully committed to holding a new carbine competition."
In addition to funding, the Army must have its updated carbine requirement approved by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, Tamilio said. The requirement is now under review at the Army senior staff level.
If that happens, the Army plans to release a draft request for proposal to the small-arms industry in the fall and a formal RFP early next year, weapons officials maintain.
The first round of testing will likely begin late next summer and last though summer 2011.
Once a weapon is selected in late fiscal 2011, weapons officials hope to have operational testing and a full rate-production decision by late summer in 2012, Tamilio said.
One of the most critical parts of this process will be the three to five months between the draft RFP and the release of the formal RFP, when the industry has the chance to digest and understand what the Army wants in a new carbine, Tamilio said.
"Those discussions we have with industry will be vital to getting the real RFP on the street and that should really make for a solid competition," he said.
By matthew cox, Army Times
Published: 30 Sep 12:43 EDT (16:43 GMT)
Soldiers could have a new carbine by 2012, unless a Congressional budget impasse slows it down.
The Army requested $9.9 million for fiscal 2010, money needed to start the solicitation process for a competition that stands to draw dozens of small arms companies waiting for the chance to unseat the M4 as the Army's primary soldier weapon.
In July, the service took control of the design rights to the M4 carbine from its sole maker, Colt Defense LLC. The transition of ownership of the M4 technical data package marked the end of an era and Colt's exclusive status as the only manufacturer of the M4 for the U.S. military for the past 15 years.
The transfer of the licensing agreement also frees up the Army to give other companies a crack at a carbine contract.
Last November, Army senior leadership announced the service's intent to open a competition for a new carbine this fall. Then Army Secretary Pete Geren directed the Army's Infantry Center at Fort Benning, Ga., to update the carbine requirement in preparation for a search for a replacement for the M4.
At the same time, the Army is slated to finish fielding the last of its 473,000 M4 requirement some time next year.
Small-arms companies waiting for the chance to compete for the Army's next carbine view Colt's loss of the M4 TDP as a new beginning for the industry and for soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Now that the sole-source era is over, we hope to see free and open competition of any interim or long-term solution for the service rifle or carbine for the American soldier," said Jason Schauble, vice president of the military products division of Remington. "Now there is a chance to get something better in the hands of the soldier."
The company displayed the latest version of the Adaptive Combat Rifle at the International Infantry & Joint Services Small Arms Symposium in May.
Army officials stressed throughout the symposium, however, that the service has to evaluate more than just the weapon. The larger equation also includes the soldier training, optics and ammunition, Brig. Gen. Peter Fuller, commander of Program Executive Office Soldier, said at the symposium.
"We have to recognize that it all combines together," he said.
The M4 became the subject of congressional scrutiny in 2007 when lawmakers expressed concern about whether soldiers had the best available weapon.
In November 2007, the weapon finished last in an Army reliability test against other carbines. The M4 suffered more stoppages than the combined number of jams by the other three competitors: the Heckler & Koch XM8; FNH USA's Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle, or SCAR; and the H&K 416.
Army weapons officials agreed to perform the dust test after a July 2007 request by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. Coburn took up the issue after a Feb. 26, 2007, Army Times report on moves by elite Army special operations units to ditch the M4 in favor of carbines they consider more reliable.
U.S. Special Operations Command began fielding the first SCARs to its elite forces this spring. The command decided to move away from the M4 in November 2004 when the command awarded a developmental contract to FN Herstal to develop its SCAR to replace its M4s and older M16s.
Of course, the Army's plan to replace the M4 carbine is on hold until Congress can agree on a budget plan for fiscal 2010. Unable to resolve differences over the 2010 Defense Appropriations Bill by Oct. 1 - the start of the new fiscal year - lawmakers approved a continuing resolution to maintain 2009 funding levels for 31 days, or until the 2010 defense appropriations act is passed by lawmakers and signed by the president.
For Col. Doug Tamilio, the budget setback means he cannot launch a competition to search for a new carbine until Congress approves 2010 "new start" funding.
"Until funding is allocated and appropriated, I really don't have new start approval for a carbine competition," said Tamilio, who runs Project Manager Soldiers Weapons.
Despite the funding delay, Tamilio said "the Army is still fully committed to holding a new carbine competition."
In addition to funding, the Army must have its updated carbine requirement approved by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, Tamilio said. The requirement is now under review at the Army senior staff level.
If that happens, the Army plans to release a draft request for proposal to the small-arms industry in the fall and a formal RFP early next year, weapons officials maintain.
The first round of testing will likely begin late next summer and last though summer 2011.
Once a weapon is selected in late fiscal 2011, weapons officials hope to have operational testing and a full rate-production decision by late summer in 2012, Tamilio said.
One of the most critical parts of this process will be the three to five months between the draft RFP and the release of the formal RFP, when the industry has the chance to digest and understand what the Army wants in a new carbine, Tamilio said.
"Those discussions we have with industry will be vital to getting the real RFP on the street and that should really make for a solid competition," he said.