Courtesy of Tactical Life

Four months after picking the Sig XM17 to replace its Beretta M9 service pistol, the U.S. Army provided a clearer picture of its short- and long-term small arms goals for infantry units at the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA)’s 2017 Armament Systems Forum last week.

According to Military.com, Lt. Col. Loyd Beal III, head of Product Manager Crew Served Weapons, said senior Army officials issued a directed requirement to begin fielding over 1,000 new Medium Anti-Armor Weapon Systems, or MAAWS—also known as the Carl Gustaf—in Fiscal Year 2018.

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The current M3 MAAWS was first used by the 75th Ranger Regiment and other Special Operations forces in 1991. In 2011, the U.S. Army started ordering it for use by infantry units in Afghanistan. It weighs 22 pounds, is 42 inches long and is capable of hitting targets up to 1,000 meters away.

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Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force/Alejandro Pena