The corporations selected is the Barrett company, known for making the .50 cal anti-material rifle that every gun fucker dreams of owning and Mars Inc. That's the joke. Who the fuck are they? Fun answer is that it's the candy company that makes snickers. Actual answer it's some fuck off start-up war criminal company somewhere in Montana.

Here's the throwback to the last time I posted about this fucking competition which funny enough was just over a week ago. I guess they really want to keep me in buisnees by putting out new news of the continual enshitification of the u.s military.

Anyways I'm gonna rip this from an article on the defense post.

Barrett Firearms and MARS Inc. have been selected by the US Army to deliver a next-generation precision grenade launcher, beating rival bidder FN Herstal in a push to upgrade infantry firepower.

I wonder why those companies won instead of FN Herstal? Is it because they had a superior product?

Barret and MARS jointly proposed a new 30mm grenade rifle system capable of rapid, precise engagements against enemy troops behind cover and drones at close range.

Hmmm.... nope, sounds more like a corruption case to slide some special people more tax dollars.

The system is portable, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and features an integrated fire control system.

You'd think this actually sounds like a good idea until you realize it's fucking heavy for a man-portable armament and is probably gonna be as reliable as the mk.19.

While full specifications remain undisclosed, the weapon is reportedly based on the Squad Support Rifle, which fires 30×42mm grenades

Assuming the design carries over, the new launcher is expected to include a five-round magazine, weigh approximately 6.3 kilograms (14 pounds), and have an effective range of 500 meters (1,640 feet).

So both the M320 and older M203 model of underslung rifle grenade systems both had a 400m max range and they both weight around about 3 pounds. They're trading out slightly lower range and significantly less weight for making more pew-pew-pew. That's it. They can try to dress it up in techno-babble bullshit about what they want it to do, but at the end of the day it's a trade for reliability and portability for a theoretical increase of Firepower which I think is an actual net loss for Firepower for the standardized infantry squad.

According to the US Army, the Barrett–MARS team has been awarded $300,000 and was invited to advance to the program’s third phase, which will involve a proof-of-concept demonstration.

They got some sweet taxpayer dough for playing show and tell and now they actually gotta show it works.

Programmable Airburst Munitions

Beyond the launcher itself, Barrett also collaborated with AMTEC Corp. to develop a new family of 30mm munitions for the shoulder-fired weapon.

The ammunition suite includes grenades with proximity and contact fuses, as well as rounds optimized for close-quarters combat.

More

AMTEC also developed airburst grenades with programmable fuses, enabling mid-air detonation for greater effectiveness against targets behind cover.

Believe it when you see it folks.

“This new ammunition family will have the full spectrum of capabilities required to achieve the US Army’s mission to provide overmatch on the modern battlefield,” Barrett Firearms noted.

What battlefield that is, everyone is unsure about but hey its great for the financial battleground of increasing shareholder profits.

‘xTechSoldier Lethality’ Competition

Muskrat ass sounding name.

The award was part of the army’s “xTechSoldier Lethality” competition, which invites companies to pitch innovative technologies to enhance soldier lethality.

Hey here's an idea, give everyone heavy fucking helmets with vr headsets for that halo hud bullshit. Give the troops herniated neck disks but let them feel cool about it.

The winning firm may receive up to $2 million in follow-on contracts.

GOTTA GET THAT BAG

The competition began in June 2023, with up to five companies receiving $15,000 each after submitting concept white papers. That pool was narrowed to three during a virtual pitch round, with only one company selected to advance to a final demonstration within six to 18 months.

Everyone gets a participation prize!

Unselected firms may still be invited to propose further development based on evolving army requirements.

If your design doesn't suck enough don't worry, there's always future opportunities to fuck shit up!

“This award highlights not only our technical capabilities, but the power of partnership, agility, and a shared mission,” said Ryan Krantz, Barrett Vice President of Business Development & Sales. “We’re proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the US Army to deliver the next leap forward in soldier lethality.”

Shared mission of trying not to blow yourselves up while massacring defenseless children

What a fucking joke