Article content

The Canadian military’s small arms replacement program highlighted in the Liberal government’s recently released defence strategy won’t get funding for another three years.

The project is in the identification phase and “is not expected to be assigned resources for another three years,” said Canadian Army spokeswoman Krysthle Poitras.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Canadian Forces small arms replacement won’t receive funding for another three years Back to video

Also to be acquired under the project is night vision as well as target acquisition systems.

Once underway the project, to replace C-7 and C-8 small arms, is estimated to take up to 10 years.

At this point the new weapons will be in 5.56 mm calibre “unless NATO comes to a new caliber agreement,” Poitras said.

“No design decision has been made, but it is anticipated that it will be based on a modular AR design,” she added.

Meanwhile in the U.S., Todd South of the Army Times newspaper reports that U.S. Army researchers are testing half a dozen ammunition variants in “intermediate calibers,” which falls between the current 7.62 mm and 5.56 mm rounds, “to create a new light machine gun and inform the next-generation individual assault rifle/round combo.”

If successful, the new rifle and round combination would give U.S. troops a weapon they can carry with about the same number of rounds as the current 5.56 mm but with greater range and accuracy in their firepower — with little change in weight, South writes.

The new rifle would likely replace the M16/M4 platform, he added.