One of these futuristic grenade launchers could succeed where the military’s ‘Punisher’ failed

The two finalists of a US Army innovation challenge to develop concepts for a new futuristic precision grenade launcher have now publicly showcased their designs. The service has been exploring for years the potential for a highly automated 30mm Precision Grenadier System (PGS) that soldiers could use to engage targets ranging from enemy personnel behind cover to light armored vehicles and airborne drones. All this follows the cancellation of work on the advanced 25mm XM25 grenade launcher, nicknamed ‘The Punishment Star’, back in 2018.

Barrett firearms, best known for its .50 caliber rifles from the M82 seriesshowed together with MARS, Inc. a model of what they currently call the Squad Support Rifle system (SSRS) at the Association of the US Army’s (AUSA) premier annual conference last month. FN America, the US-based subsidiary of the famous Belgian small arms company Fabrique National, had one model of his PGS-001 design at last year’s AUSA meeting. The SSRS and the FN PGS-001 were the designs that came on top of the Army’s xTechSoldier Lethality Challenge to “demonstrate their innovative concepts for a precision grenadier system” last year.

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

The SSRS also has a mounting rail on top for optics and other accessories. The SSRS model at AUSA was equipped with a Vortex optics XM157, a variable 1-8×30 optic with a digital display overlay and other advanced features such as a built-in laser rangefinder. The XM157 does set as the default optic for the Army’s new 6.8mm XM7 rifles and automatic weapons from the XM250 team by Sig Sauer.

On the ammunition front, Barrett had mockups of nine different rounds on display at AUSA, including high-explosive, incendiary, armor-piercing and special training types. There was also a “close quarters battle” (CBQ) grenade, which looks like a hail-like canister round.

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Specific details about the PGS-001 are more limitedbut it has a roughly similar layout to the SRSS and was also previously shown with an XM157 optic installed. A notable difference between the two is the noticeably large muzzle brake on the FN design. This would help reduce recoil, especially when firing multiple shots in succession, but also cause significant explosions, flashes and noise.

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

AUSA 23 – FN USA’s PGS-001 precision grenadier system pic.twitter.com/J3Q1UHkTAZ

— Soldier Systems (@soldiersystems) October 10, 2023

In previous PGS contract announcements, the Army has called for a family of munitions that includes a “Counter Defilade Round” that can “accurately and rapidly defeat personnel targets” behind cover, which would be an air-bursting design, as well as armor. piercing, CQB and training types. A dedicated Counter Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) shell is also on the PGS requirements list.

Other PGS requirements previously mentioned 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 500 yards.

“The PGS will be a man-portable integrated weapon system that will enable precision combat to destroy personnel targets in defilade and in the open with greater lethality and precision compared to the older M203/M320 grenade launchers,” one of the researchers said. announcement of assignment from February 2023. “The PGS will provide an overmatch for comparable grenade launchers in similar formations in future operational environments (jungle, urban, forest, underground, desert, day/night/darkened). The PGS is intended to consist of a weapon, fire control and a range of munitions that will allow the user to engage targets in defilade/cover, hover UAS targets, perform door breaches, engage close combat targets and lightly armored goals.

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

As noted, this is not the first time the military has sought such a weapon. The core operational needs behind the PGS are very similar to the needs that drove the development of an advanced 25mm grenade launcher, called the XM25 and between the mid-2000s and late 2010s also known as the Individual Semi-Automatic Airburst System (ISAAS) or Counter-Defilade Target Engagement (CDTE) System. The Objective infantry combat weapon (OICW), which started in the 1990s.

Interestingly enough, given the PGS requirements thus far, the XM25’s 14-pound weight was cited as a contributing factor in its eventual cancellation, along with the weapon’s physical size and its cost (as well as that of the advanced programmable ammunition).

A 2018 report of Stars and stripes quoted an Army spokesman as saying the service had secured rights to the XM25’s technical data package (TDP), as well as prototypes and ammunition, which in turn raised questions about whether the service could restart its development.

“The government does not own the XM25 TDP” and “development of the PGS will start from scratch but will integrate learnings from the a virtual industry day event in 2021.

While the SSRS and PGS-001 now appear to be the clear frontrunners in every latest PGS competition, there is still a possibility that the Army could consider other designs even if entries were to be lost from the xTechSoldier Lethality challenge. American Rheinmetall ammunition, Knight technical solutions (not to be confused with Knight’s Armament Company), and Plumb precision products had designs also submitted for xTechSoldier Lethality, details of which are limited. We do 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 such as the M203 and M320, while Plumb Precision Products’ P3-M110 is another rifle-like weapon, but chambered to fire 17.5mm bullets. It is unclear whether American Rheinmetall’s submission, called Squad Support Weapon Achieving Precision Grenadier System Objectives, is related the 40x46mm Squad Support weapon 40 (SSW40) from the German parent company.

First round loser:
(P1) Rheinmetall SSW40 https://t.co/YEFjXkPrAs
(P2) Knight Technical Solutions, LLC, “Multi-function Intelligent Grenade System ‘MIGS’”https://t.co/V98LzCn8ox
(P3&P4) Plumb Precision Products, LLC, “P3 M110 precision grenade launcher” pic.twitter.com/4YZakJxiws

— 笑脸男人 (@lfx160219) September 16, 2023

Regardless, the Army clearly has a continued interest in a precision grenade launcher that can engage a variety of target types, especially those behind cover, accurately and at longer ranges compared to the M203 and M320. The service also investigated improved types of 40mm ammunition, including air bursting roundsto help meet these operational requirements.

The inclusion of a counter-drone round in the planned PGS munition family also underlines the growing threat posed by drones and the equally increasing demand for ways to neutralize them within the US military. For the PGS effort, the requirement against drones is something that predates it, but that is the case is now also fully validated Through the ongoing war in Ukrainewhich helped to make the hazards caused by unmanned aerial systems in mainstream consciousness.

Overall, it seems that regardless of which design the Army ultimately chooses for PGS, it seems like it wants to finally succeed where “The “Punisher” failed.

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