Meet the XM250: The Army’s New Game-Changing Squad Weapon

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Key Points: The U.S. Army’s XM250 light machine gun replaces the M249 SAW, enhancing firepower and range with the new 6.8mm round, designed to penetrate next-gen body armor.

-Weighing just 13 pounds, the XM250 is significantly lighter than its predecessor, offers ambidextrous controls, and boasts an advanced suppressor system for reduced muzzle flash and sound.

-Its lethal range exceeds 600 meters, doubling that of the M249. Deployment prioritizes Pacific-focused units, with initial rollouts to the 101st Airborne and Ranger units.

-Though the Army currently plans to procure 13,000 XM250s, the weapon’s advanced features mark a significant leap in battlefield lethality and versatility.

XM250 Next Generation Squad Weapons, Explained 

The Army has designated the XM250 as the replacement for the M249 SAW. Like replacing the M4, the Army grew concerned with the 5.56mm round and wanted the soldiers to have ammunition that will penetrate the next-generation body armor that our potential adversaries (China and Russia) possess.

The Army replaced the 5.56mm with the 6.8mm (.277) cartridge, improving the range, penetration, and lethality for Army machine gunners now and in the future.

In the competition for the Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW), Sig Sauer which already supplies the Army’s pistols, the M17 and M18, and the new combat rifle, the XM7 won it with the new XM250. 

XM250 Specs:

The new XM250 is a lightweight, belt-fed, select-fire 6.8mm light machine gun. It has fully ambidextrous controls, a collapsible buttstock, MLOK mounting locations, and a recoil mitigation system. The weapon was designed to be suppressed and comes with a quick-detach suppressor, the Sig SLX suppressor, which is also designed with a flash-reducing end cap, enhancing its performance.

Specifications:

Caliber: 6.8mm

Weight: 13.0 pounds; 14.5 pounds with suppressor

Length: 36.75 inches; 41.9 inches with suppressor

Barrel length: 17.5 inches

Max Effective Range: 600 meters+

Advantages of the XM250 Over the M249:

The XM250 has several advantages over the M249 SAW. These advantages include:

Lighter weight: the XM250 weighs 13 pounds unloaded, compared to the M249’s 19.2 pounds.

Ergonomics: The XM250 has an ergonomic design and ambidextrous ergonomics.

Barrel performance: The XM250 has improved barrel performance. 

Muzzle sound and flash reduction: The XM250 includes integrated muzzle sound and flash reduction due to the SLX Suppressor. 

Range: The XM250’s 6.8mm round has a lethal range of at least 600m, double that of the M249 and its 5.56mm ammunition.

More Details 

“We are here to establish overmatch against near-peer adversaries, and that is more urgent and relevant today than any time in recent history,” BG Larry Burris, the Soldier Lethality Cross-Functional Team director, said. “We are one giant step closer to achieving overmatch against global adversaries and threats that emerge on the battlefield of today and tomorrow.”

An interesting change is that the XM250 design team moved away from the SAW’s ability to carry a magazine as a starter feed. The XM250 has a box that loads like a magazine. 

A clear advantage of the new weapon is that it can be loaded with the feed tray cover down in the locked position. A gunner no longer has to raise the feed tray cover to load a new belt. 

However, like the new XM7 rifle, the combat load for a machine gunner will be less. A gunner with the M249 would carry 600 rounds in three 200-round boxes. The gunner for the new XM250 will hold 400 rounds in four 100-round boxes. 

Deployment of the XM250 Goes to Pacific Focused Units First:

The 506th Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division received their first XM250s in April. Still, the DoD, preparing for a possible conflict with China, is issuing the new weapons to units with a Pacific focus. 

The Army Reserve’s 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, and elements of the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, will issue the XM250 between October and December.  

From January to March, the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; and from April to June, the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah, Georgia will receiver the new XM250.

As of now, the Army has only contracted to buy 13,000 XM250s to replace the M249 SAWs of the Infantry, Cav Scouts, Combat Engineers, SOF, and select enablers. The Army has over 120,000 M249s in its inventory. 

So, for now, the rest of the Army will continue to use the M249 SAW. Will the entire force eventually be equipped with the XM250?

That is unknown. But the Army just increased its firepower and lethality in a big way.

About the Author: 

Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in other military publications.