“The Army has not introduced a new caliber for about 65 years ... Doing so will require extensive coordination with the stakeholders across the enterprise to develop combat and training requirements, production capability as well as budgeting for procurement.”

“美国陆军已经有65年没有引进新口径了……要做到这一点，需要与整个企业的利益相关者进行广泛协调，以制定作战和训练需求、生产能力以及采购预算。”

 

By   AARON MEHTA

on April 20, 2022

作者：亚伦·梅塔

2022年4月20日

 

The Army has a new rifle design, but making sure there is enough ammunition will be key. (U.S. Army Reserve/Michelle Lunato)

美国陆军有一种新的步枪设计，但确保有足够的弹药将是关键。（美国陆军预备役/米歇尔·卢纳托）

 

WASHINGTON: With the US Army’s selection of Sig Sauer to provide close-combat forces with new rifles, service planners can finally begin tackling a major challenge for getting the weapons into the field: building up enough ammunition.

华盛顿：随着美国陆军选择西格·绍尔公司（Sig Sauer）为近战部队提供新型步枪，军种规划者终于可以开始应对武器进入战场的一个重大挑战：积累足够的弹药。

 

The contract award for Sig Sauer, announced last night, covers production of a new rifle dubbed the XM5, replacing the M4A1, and a new automatic rifle, the XM250, replacing the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. Both weapons will use 6.8 millimeter ammunition, instead of the 5.56mm and 7.62mm rounds currently used by Army weapons.

昨晚宣布的西格·绍尔公司（Sig Sauer）合同授予包括生产一种新步枪XM5，取代M4A1，以及一种新自动步枪XM250，取代M249班用自动武器。这两种武器都将使用6.8毫米弹药，而不是目前陆军武器使用的5.56毫米和7.62毫米弹药。

 

While both the legacy rounds have significant stockpiles built up over the years, getting ammunition levels to where they need to be is a “daunting, dauting indeed,” challenge, Brig. Gen. William M. Boruff, joint program executive officer for armaments and ammunition, said during a media briefing at the Pentagon.

虽然这两种遗留弹药多年来积累了大量库存，但将弹药水平提高到所需的水平是一项“令人畏惧、确实令人气馁”的挑战，布里格说。负责军备和弹药的联合项目执行官威廉·M·博鲁夫上将在五角大楼的一次媒体简报会上说。

 

“Current ammunition is such that the availability is almost an afterthought. You go to the supply point, you pick up your ammunition and you go out to the range and you fire your” weapon, Boruff said. “This is because the Army has spent decades refining its process to ensure a sufficient inventory of 5.56 ammunition is available and the industry base is present to continue replenishing on a consistent basis.

博鲁夫说：“目前的弹药是如此之多，你去补给点，拿起弹药，到靶场发射武器。”。“这是因为陆军已经花了几十年的时间来改进其流程，以确保有足够的5.56枚弹药库存可用，并且该行业基地将持续不断地补充弹药。

 

“Now consider preparing a new weapon fielding, starting with absolute zero inventory and the industrial base being established,” he continued. “The Army has not introduced a new caliber for about 65 years … Doing so will require extensive coordination with the stakeholders across the enterprise to develop combat and training requirements, production capability as well as budgeting for procurement.”

他接着说：“现在考虑准备一个新的武器装备，从绝对零库存开始，建立工业基地。”“陆军已经有65年没有引进新口径了……要做到这一点，需要与整个企业的利益相关者进行广泛协调，以制定作战和训练需求、生产能力以及采购预算。”

 

Getting the ammunition stockpiles up and running will be a two-handed job, with both Sig Sauer and the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant having to coordinate efforts. Already, Lake City has provided some projectiles for Sig Sauer and the other competitors for testing during the prototype phase, so there is some production already underway. But more investment is needed — and with the competition now complete, work can begin soon, Boruff said.

建立和运行弹药储备将是一项两手空空的工作，西格·绍尔公司和湖城陆军弹药厂必须协调努力。湖城已经为西格·绍尔公司和其他竞争对手提供了一些射弹，以便在原型阶段进行测试，因此已经有一些生产正在进行中。但博鲁夫说，还需要更多的投资——随着竞争现在完成，工作很快就能开始。

 

At Lake City, the Army is “going to build an interim capability for full cartridges by modifying some of the existing equipment and floor space while a new building is being constructed to provide the necessary and enduring capability,” Boruff said.

博鲁夫说，在湖城，陆军“将通过修改一些现有设备和占地面积，同时建造一座新建筑以提供必要和持久的能力，从而建立完整弹药筒的临时能力”。

 

As to why the Army decided to switch to the new kind of ammunition, when it had plenty of the older rounds at hand, Boruff said it was all about capability.

至于为什么陆军在手头有很多旧弹药时决定改用新型弹药，博鲁夫说这完全取决于能力。

 

“The key combat cartridge for the system leverages the technology successfully demonstrated in various small caliber improvements. It builds upon the Enhanced Performance Round, the EPR, in our current 5.56 inventory, and enhancements in other calibers to address a broad spectrum of targets. Soldier feedback has been very positive on the 5.56 EPR, again the extended Enhanced Performance Round, and the cartridge introduction since 2010,” Boruff said.

“该系统的关键战斗弹药筒利用了在各种小口径改进中成功展示的技术。它建立在增强性能弹药上，EPR，在我们目前5.56库存，并且增强其他口径以解决广泛的目标。士兵对5.56毫米增强性能弹药（EPR）的反馈非常积极，这也是扩展的增强性能弹药，以及自2010年以来推出的弹药筒，”博鲁夫说。

 

“However, the current 5.56 cartridge has been maxed out from the performance perspective. The new weapon with this increased operating pressure and size allows the army to significantly increase the performance capability of the ammunition. These advances allow soldiers at the squad level to deliver improved target defeat at higher energies to advance threats at extended ranges.”

“然而，从性能角度来看，目前的5.56弹药筒已经达到了极限。具有这种增加的操作膛压和尺寸的新武器使军队能够显着提高弹药的性能。这些进步使小队级别的士兵能够以更高的能量提供更好的目标打击能力，从而在更远的范围内推进威胁。”

 

Overall, the contract for Sig Sauer covers 10 years — really a series of one-year ordering period —  with a max ceiling value of $4.7 billion. The Army expects to procure up to 250,000 rifles during that period, but there is wiggle room for additional customers — if, for example, the US Marines or other nations express interest.

总的来说，西格·绍尔公司的合同期限为10年——实际上是一系列为期一年的订购期——最高价值为47亿美元。美国陆军预计在这段时间内采购多达25万支步枪，但如果美国海军陆战队或其他国家表示有兴趣，还有更多客户的回旋余地。