SOCOM Seeks Hypervelocity M4 Upgrade to Double Effective Range
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has launched the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, seeking a new M4 upper receiver capable of firing the M855A1+ hypervelocity cartridge loaded to 82,000 PSI. The goal is to double the M4’s effective range from 300 to 600 meters while maintaining portability. White papers are due June 8, with pitch meetings in September. The initiative addresses battlefield gaps as the Army and Marine Corps adopt newer weapon systems.
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SOCOM seeks hypervelocity M4 upgrade to double effective range
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has issued a solicitation for the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, aiming to extend the effective range of the legacy M4 carbine from 300 meters to 600 meters or more. The program seeks a new upper receiver capable of firing emerging hypervelocity ammunition, specifically the M855A1+ round loaded to 82,000 psi. SOCOM emphasizes leveraging material science and weapon design to maintain the M4's portability while achieving extended-range engagement. The initiative comes as the Army and Marine Corps adopt new weapon systems like the Next Generation Squad Weapons and M27 IAR. White paper submissions are due June 8, with pitch meetings in September. Testing will involve 600 rounds of primarily M855A1+ and some M855A1 ammunition.
Military TimesSOCOM seeks hypervelocity M4 upgrade to double effective range
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has issued a solicitation for the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, seeking a new M4 upper receiver capable of firing emerging hypervelocity ammunition. The goal is to double the effective range of the legacy M4 carbine from approximately 300 meters to 600 meters and beyond. The program leverages the M855A1+ cartridge, which is loaded to 82,000 PSI, requiring advanced materials and weapon design. SOCOM emphasizes maintaining the portability and ergonomics of a lightweight carbine while addressing future battlefield capability gaps. White paper submissions are due June 8, with pitch meetings scheduled for September. This initiative comes as the Army and Marine Corps adopt new weapon systems like the Next Generation Squad Weapons and M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle, and SOCOM fields the MK24 Medium Range Gas Gun Assault rifle in 6.5mm Creedmoor and .338 Norma Magnum.
Air Force TimesSOCOM seeks to revive M4 carbine with hypervelocity cartridge program
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has issued a solicitation for the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, aiming to extend the effective range of the legacy M4 carbine from 300 meters to 600 meters or more. The program seeks a new upper receiver capable of firing emerging hypervelocity ammunition, specifically the M855A1+ cartridge loaded to 82,000 PSI. SOCOM states the initiative is vital to address future battlefield capability gaps while maintaining the portability and ergonomics of a lightweight carbine. The move comes as other services adopt new weapon systems, including the Army's Next Generation Squad Weapons and the Marine Corps' M27 IAR. White paper submissions are due June 8, with pitch meetings scheduled for September 15-16. Testing will involve 600 rounds of primarily M855A1+ and some M855A1 ammunition.
Military TimesSOCOM seeks hypervelocity M4 upgrade to double effective range
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has issued a solicitation for the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, seeking a new M4 upper receiver capable of firing emerging hypervelocity ammunition. The goal is to double the effective range of the legacy M4 carbine from approximately 300 meters to 600 meters and beyond, using a new cartridge designated M855A1+ loaded to 82,000 PSI. SOCOM emphasizes leveraging material science and weapon design advancements to maintain the portability and ergonomics of a lightweight carbine while addressing future battlefield capability gaps. The program comes as the Army and Marine Corps adopt new weapon systems like the Next Generation Squad Weapons and M27 IAR. White paper submissions are due June 8, with pitch meetings scheduled for September 15-16. Testing will involve firing 600 rounds of primarily M855A1+ and some M855A1 ammunition.
Air Force TimesSOCOM seeks hypervelocity M4 upper receiver to double effective range
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has issued a solicitation for the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, seeking a new M4 upper receiver capable of firing emerging hypervelocity ammunition modeled after the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge. The program aims to double the effective range of the legacy M4 carbine from approximately 300 meters to 600 meters and beyond. The new ammunition, designated M855A1+, is loaded to 82,000 psi, significantly higher than standard rounds. SOCOM states the program is vital to addressing future battlefield capability gaps while maintaining the portability and ergonomics of a lightweight carbine. White paper submissions are due June 8, with pitch meetings scheduled for September 15-16. Testing will involve firing 600 rounds of primarily M855A1+ and some M855A1 ammunition. The initiative comes as both the Army and Marine Corps shift away from the M4 with new weapon systems.
Marine Corps TimesSOCOM seeks hypervelocity cartridge to extend M4 carbine effective range to 600 meters
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has issued a solicitation for the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, seeking a new M4 upper receiver capable of firing emerging hypervelocity ammunition modeled after the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge. The program aims to double the effective range of the legacy M4 carbine from approximately 300 meters to 600 meters and beyond. The new ammunition, designated M855A1+, is loaded to 82,000 pounds per square inch, significantly higher pressure than standard rounds. SOCOM states the system will leverage advancements in material science and weapon design to provide operators with a technically superior individual weapon system while maintaining the portability and ergonomics of a lightweight carbine. White paper submissions are due June 8, with pitch meetings scheduled for September 15-16. Testing will involve firing 600 rounds of primarily M855A1+ and some M855A1 ammunition. This program comes as both the Army and Marine Corps shift away from the M4 with adoption of Next Generation Squad Weapons and the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle respectively.
C4ISRNetSOCOM seeks hypervelocity M4 upgrade to double effective range
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has issued a solicitation for the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, seeking a new M4 upper receiver capable of firing emerging hypervelocity ammunition. The goal is to double the effective range of the legacy M4 carbine from approximately 300 meters to 600 meters and beyond. The program will leverage the M855A1+ cartridge, which is loaded to 82,000 pounds per square inch, significantly higher than standard 5.56mm rounds. SOCOM emphasizes maintaining the portability and ergonomics of a lightweight carbine while integrating advancements in material science. White paper submissions are due June 8, with pitch meetings scheduled for September 15-16. Testing will involve firing 600 rounds of primarily M855A1+ and some M855A1 ammunition. This initiative comes as the Army and Marine Corps shift toward newer weapon systems like the Next Generation Squad Weapons and M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle.
Marine Corps TimesSOCOM seeks hypervelocity M4 upgrade to double effective range
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has issued a solicitation for the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, seeking a new M4 upper receiver capable of firing emerging hypervelocity ammunition. The goal is to double the effective range of the legacy M4 carbine from approximately 300 meters to 600 meters and beyond, using a new M855A1+ cartridge loaded to 82,000 PSI. SOCOM aims to leverage material science and weapon design advances to provide operators with a superior individual weapon system while maintaining the M4's portability and ergonomics. The program comes as other services adopt new weapon systems like the Army's Next Generation Squad Weapons and the Marine Corps' M27 IAR. White paper submissions are due June 8, with pitch meetings scheduled for September 15-16. Testing will involve 600 rounds of primarily M855A1+ and some M855A1 ammunition.
Army TimesSOCOM seeks hypervelocity M4 upper receiver to double effective range
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has issued a solicitation for the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, seeking a new M4 upper receiver capable of firing emerging hypervelocity ammunition modeled after the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge. The goal is to double the effective range of the legacy M4 carbine from approximately 300 meters to 600 meters and beyond. The new ammunition, designated M855A1+, is loaded to 82,000 psi, significantly higher pressure than standard rounds. SOCOM states the program is vital to addressing future battlefield capability gaps while maintaining the portability and ergonomics of a lightweight carbine. White paper submissions are due June 8, with pitch meetings scheduled for September 15-16. Testing will involve firing 600 rounds of primarily M855A1+ and some M855A1 ammunition. This initiative comes as the Army and Marine Corps shift away from the M4 with new squad weapon systems.
C4ISRNetSOCOM Seeks Hypervelocity Upper Receiver to Extend M4 Effective Range to 600 Meters
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has issued a solicitation for the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, seeking a new M4 upper receiver capable of firing emerging hypervelocity ammunition designated M855A1+. The goal is to double the effective range of the legacy M4 carbine from approximately 300 meters to 600 meters and beyond, while maintaining the weapon's portability and ergonomics. The M855A1+ round is loaded to 82,000 PSI, significantly higher than standard ammunition, requiring advanced material science and weapon design. This initiative comes as the Army and Marine Corps adopt new platforms like the Next Generation Squad Weapons and M27 IAR, and as SOCOM prepares to field the MK24 rifle in 6.5mm Creedmoor and .338 Norma Magnum. White paper submissions are due June 8, with pitch meetings scheduled for September 15-16.
Military TimesSOCOM seeks to revive M4 carbine with hypervelocity cartridge program
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has issued a solicitation for the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, seeking a new M4 upper receiver capable of firing emerging hypervelocity ammunition modeled after the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge. The program aims to double the effective range of the legacy M4 platform from approximately 300 meters to 600 meters and beyond, using the experimental M855A1+ round loaded to 82,000 PSI. SOCOM states the program is vital to addressing future battlefield capability gaps while maintaining the portability and ergonomics of a lightweight carbine. This initiative comes as the Army and Marine Corps shift to new weapon systems like the Next Generation Squad Weapons and M27 IAR. White paper submissions are due June 8, with pitch meetings scheduled for September 15-16. Testing will involve 600 rounds of primarily M855A1+ and some M855A1 ammunition.
Army TimesSOCOM seeks hypervelocity M4 upgrade to double effective range
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has launched the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, seeking industry proposals for a new M4 upper receiver capable of firing emerging hypervelocity ammunition. The goal is to double the effective range of the legacy M4 carbine from approximately 300 meters to 600 meters and beyond, using a new cartridge designated M855A1+, which is loaded to 82,000 PSI. SOCOM emphasizes that the upgrade must maintain the portability and ergonomics of a lightweight carbine while integrating advances in material science and weapon design. The program comes as the Army and Marine Corps shift to newer platforms like the Next Generation Squad Weapons and M27 IAR. White paper submissions are due June 8, with pitch meetings scheduled for September 15-16. Testing will involve firing 600 rounds, primarily M855A1+ and some standard M855A1 ammunition.
Air Force TimesSOCOM seeks hypervelocity M4 upgrade to double effective range
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has issued a solicitation for the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, seeking a new M4 upper receiver capable of firing emerging hypervelocity ammunition modeled after the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge. The goal is to double the effective range of the legacy M4 carbine from approximately 300 meters to 600 meters and beyond, using a new round designated M855A1+ loaded to 82,000 PSI. SOCOM states the program is vital to addressing future battlefield capability gaps while maintaining the portability and ergonomics of a lightweight carbine. White paper submissions are due June 8, with pitch meetings scheduled for September 15-16. The initiative comes as the Army and Marine Corps shift to new weapon systems like the Next Generation Squad Weapons and M27 IAR, respectively. SOCOM is also fielding the MK24 Medium Range Gas Gun Assault rifle in 6.5mm Creedmoor and .338 Norma Magnum.
Navy TimesSOCOM Seeks Hypervelocity M4 Upgrade to Double Effective Range
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has issued a solicitation for the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, seeking a new M4 upper receiver capable of firing emerging hypervelocity ammunition. The goal is to double the effective range of the legacy M4 carbine from approximately 300 meters to 600 meters and beyond. The program leverages the M855A1+ cartridge, loaded to 82,000 PSI, which offers significantly higher velocity but requires a reinforced upper receiver. SOCOM emphasizes maintaining the portability and ergonomics of a lightweight carbine while integrating advancements in material science. White paper submissions are due June 8, with pitch meetings scheduled for September. This initiative comes as the Army and Marine Corps shift to newer weapon systems like the Next Generation Squad Weapons and M27 IAR, respectively.
Marine Corps TimesSOCOM seeks to revive M4 carbine with hypervelocity cartridge program
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has issued a solicitation for the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, seeking a new M4 upper receiver capable of firing emerging hypervelocity ammunition modeled after the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge. The program aims to double the effective range of the legacy M4 platform from approximately 300 meters to 600 meters and beyond, using a new round designated M855A1+ loaded to 82,000 PSI. SOCOM states the system is vital to addressing future battlefield capability gaps while maintaining the portability and ergonomics of a lightweight carbine. White paper submissions are due June 8, with pitch meetings scheduled for September 15-16. The initiative comes as the Army and Marine Corps shift toward newer weapon systems like the Next Generation Squad Weapons and M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle.
Navy TimesSOCOM seeks hypervelocity M4 upgrade to double effective range
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has issued a solicitation for the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine (HICAR) program, seeking a new M4 upper receiver capable of firing emerging hypervelocity ammunition modeled after the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge. The goal is to double the effective range of the legacy M4 carbine from approximately 300 meters to 600 meters and beyond, using a new round designated M855A1+ loaded to 82,000 PSI. SOCOM states the program is vital to addressing future battlefield capability gaps while maintaining the portability and ergonomics of a lightweight carbine. White paper submissions are due June 8, with pitch meetings scheduled for September 15-16. Testing will involve 600 rounds, primarily M855A1+ and some M855A1. The initiative comes as the Army and Marine Corps adopt new weapon systems like the Next Generation Squad Weapons and M27 IAR, respectively.
Navy Times