The Marines may have backtracked on the rifle after a US Army expert disparaged it at an exhibition in Washington, DC, last year.
The United States Marine Corps has increasingly made clear that it isn’t a “Second Army,” and this month also confirmed it won’t adopt the SIG Sauer-designed M7 rifle, opting to retain its M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle. Task and Purpose first reported that the USMC rejected the US Army’s M7, which was selected for the Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) program to replace the M4 carbine and M249 light machine gun.
“The Marine Corps will retain the M27 for our close combat formations as it best aligns with our unique service requirements, amphibious doctrinal employment of weapons, and distinct modernization priorities, while ensuring seamless interoperability across the Joint force and with coalition partners,” a USMC spokesperson told Task & Purpose in an email, but didn’t offer any further information as why the service made the decision.
However, the spokesperson added, “We will continue to monitor development of the M7 [Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle] to inform future requirements.”
Did the Marines Listen to One Soldier?
The US Marine Corps had never officially moved forward with the M7, and in May 2020, the Marine Corps Systems Command even backtracked after it was reported that it would replace the M27 with the NGSW.
Perhaps some Marines listened to what an Army soldier had to say about the M7’s predecessor, the experimental XM7, last year at the Modern Day Marine exhibition in Washington, DC.
Captain Braden Trent, US Army, presented evidence gathered on the XM7 and offered the very blunt conclusion that it is “unfit for use as a modern service rifle.”
Trent added, “The XM7 is a tactically outdated service rifle that would be better classified as a designated marksman rifle, if that.”
As previously reported, the XM7 was based on SIG Sauer’s MCX line, an evolution of the AR-15/M16 rifles used by the military for nearly six decades.
That may have given it a slight advantage over the competing offerings in the NGSW program, with the key differences in the operation. Instead of the direct impingement system found in the AR-15/M16, the MCX utilized a gas piston operating mechanism.
The key benefit was improved reliability, but it comes at a weight trade-off, as the gas piston is heavier. However, the XM7 offered greater range and stopping power, requirements that were borne of experiences in Afghanistan during the Global War on Terror (GWOT). Both the XM7 rifle and XM250 automatic rifle were to be chambered for the newly developed 6.8x51mm Common Cartridge, which was also designated by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) as .277 SIG Fury.
The cartridge was developed to be “midway” between the 5.56x45mm NATO and the 7.62x51mm NATO in bore diameter, even though it is dimensionally similar to the latter round. It should not be confused with the 6.8x43mm Remington cartridge, also developed in recent years.
The Common Cartridge was shown to stop an adversary with a single round, whereas the 5.56 NATO cartridge fired by the M4 required multiple rounds.
In theory, this all sounds good. But Trent based his warnings on how the XM7 has been used in testing, where it hasn’t quite lived up to its promise.
Soldiers complained of the 20-round magazine, which limited the amount of ammunition available in a firefight. In addition, the XM7 is heavier than the M4, and modern tactics still call for engaging a potential adversary at 300 meters or less, negating its longer-range accuracy.
A bigger concern is that the barrel showed excessive wear after just 2,000 rounds.
The M27 Rifle Is the Rifle the Marines Know and Love
The other consideration is that the USMC selected its M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR), based on the Heckler & Koch, not all that long ago. It was first employed in combat in Afghanistan in 2011, initially to replace the M249, but it has since evolved and replaced the M16A4 and M4A1 as well.
The M27 is still chambered for the 5.56 round, and therefore doesn’t have the stopping power of the XM7’s heavier cartridge, but Marines have touted its greater accuracy and range than the M4. It also employs a short-stroke gas piston system that helps keep the action cleaner and cooler.
An advantage of the 5.56 cartridge is that the Marines can carry more of it, which may be necessary when landing on distant beaches and engaging the enemy at close range.
A Major US Air Base in Utah Just Retired the A-10 Warthog for Good
Hill Air Force Base is home to the Ogden Air Logistics Complex (ALC), which maintained the US Air Force’s Warthog fleet for decades.
All good things come to an end, and for Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah, that means saying goodbye to the famed Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, an aircraft that earned the unofficial nickname “Warthog” due to its rugged, utilitarian appearance. Initially not considered an “attractive” aircraft, the Warthog moniker has become a term of endearment for a tough—at times seemingly unstoppable—close air support (CAS) aircraft.
This month marks the official end of the Thunderbolt II program at Hill AFB, as the Ogden Air Logistics Complex prepares to see its final A-10 head to retirement.
“The departure of the A-10 depot maintenance mission marks the end of an era for the 571st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, which will deactivate following completion of its last A‑10,” the 75th Air Base Wing explained, further noting it will close out a mission that has been carried on for nearly three decades at the Utah facility.
“This mission has been a point of pride for the entire complex,” said Brig. Gen. Hall Sebren, Ogden Air Logistics Complex (ALC) commander. “The A‑10 came to Hill because of the skill and dedication of our workforce, and it stayed here because that expertise only grew stronger with time. Our maintainers extended the life of this aircraft again and again, and they did it with a level of pride and professionalism that has become part of Hill’s identity.”
The A-10 Warthog Is the US Air Force’s Flying Tank
- Year Introduced: 1979
- Number Built: 713 (~160 still in service)
- Length: 53 ft 4 in (16.16 m)
- Height: 14 ft 8 in (4.42 m)
- Wingspan: 57 ft 6 in (17.42 m)
- Weight (MTOW): 51,000 lbs (22,950 kg)
- Engines: Two (2) General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofans
- Top Speed: 420 mph (Mach 0.56)
- Range: 800 miles (695 nautical miles)
- Service Ceiling: 45,000 ft (13,636 m)
- Loadout: One 30mm GAU-8/A seven-barrel Gatling gun; up to 16,000 pounds (7,200 kilograms) of mixed ordnance on eight under-wing and three under-fuselage pylon stations
- Aircrew: 1
Production of the A-10 Thunderbolt II began in 1972, and the aircraft officially entered service with the United States Air Force in 1977. The A-10’s short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability permitted it to operate from airstrips close to front lines. The aircraft could also be serviced at forward base areas with limited facilities due to its simple design.
The A-10 was first deployed during Operation Urgent Fury, the 1983 American invasion of Grenada, where it provided air cover for the United States Marine Corps but did not fire its weapons. It wasn’t until the Gulf War in 1991 that the aircraft first took part in combat operations. A-10s successfully shot down two Iraqi helicopters with the GAU-8 and took part in numerous sorties against Iraqi Republican Guard ground targets.
Supporters of the A-10 note that it offers excellent maneuverability at low airspeeds and altitude while maintaining a highly accurate weapons-delivery platform. The Thunderbolt II can loiter near battle areas for extended periods, perform austere landings, and operate under 1,000-foot ceilings (303.3 meters) with 1.5-mile (2.4 kilometers) visibility. The supporters also argue that no other aircraft, notably the F-35 Lightning II, can fill the Thunderbolt II’s role.
Ogden ALC Will Miss the A-10
Hill AFB’s Ogden ALC first performed depot-level maintenance of the A-10 in 1998, and it has since become the US Air Force’s “primary location for structural repair, wing replacements, and major overhauls. The 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group manages A‑10 depot maintenance and has overseen thousands of A‑10 inductions over the years.”
The facility was once staffed by “hundreds of maintainers, sheet‑metal technicians, engineers, and logisticians.” The team carried out the major work on the aircraft, including structural refurbishment and re-winging, to ensure the aging Thunderbolts would be ready to strike for years to come.
The team tackled everything from complex structural refurbishment to a major re‑winging effort that kept the fleet viable for many additional years.
“We have had maintainers who have worked on the A‑10 for decades,” said Col. Ryan Nash, commander of the 309th AMXG. “They know every inch of this aircraft. They’ve trained generations of maintainers, and they’ve poured their hearts into keeping the Warthog in the fight. Watching the last jet roll out is emotional for all of us.”
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