- USSOCOM has canceled its Lightweight Machine Gun–Assault prototyping effort and transferred the program to the Navy’s Crane contracting office.
- The shift ends SOCOM’s direct role in developing a next-generation lightweight machine gun and signals a possible reassessment of SOF small-arms requirements.
The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has formally canceled its prototyping initiative for the Lightweight Machine Gun–Assault (LMG-A), a next-generation automatic weapon once expected to replace or supplement the aging Mk46/Mk48 and possibly the M249 SAW in special operations units.
In a notice published December 7, the SOF Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics–Kinetic Requirements (SOF AT&L-KR) office announced that the effort to develop and prototype the LMG-A will no longer move forward under USSOCOM. Instead, the program will be transitioned to the U.S. Navy’s Crane Division, which is now expected to restart the effort through its own contracting office.
“PEO-SW PM SOF Lethality has adjusted the LMG-A Prototyping Project. SOF AT&L-KR will no longer be moving forward with the prototyping effort. Instead, the Navy Crane Contracting office will restart the effort,” the notice stated.
No further technical or programmatic details were released as part of the updated posting. The Department of War and USSOCOM have not issued a formal statement beyond the cancellation notice.
The LMG-A program had been closely watched as a potential leap forward in dismounted lethality for special operations forces. Analysts viewed it as a likely evolution from the current Mk46 and Mk48 systems — both in use by U.S. SOF units — and possibly a limited replacement for the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon in specific operational roles.
The effort may have also been positioned as a competitor to the SIG Sauer MG 338, a belt-fed machine gun chambered in .338 Norma Magnum, which has undergone evaluation by various U.S. military units in recent years. However, while the MG 338 fits into a medium machine gun role, the LMG-A was envisioned as a lightweight solution better suited for high-mobility SOF environments.
The cancellation has prompted questions within defense circles about whether USSOCOM is pivoting toward newer calibers and weapons systems aligned with the Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program — including the 6.8×51mm cartridge, which has been selected for both the XM7 rifle and XM250 light machine gun. A transition toward these NGSW-aligned systems may render the LMG-A concept redundant or outdated before prototyping even began.
USSOCOM’s decision to withdraw from a publicly announced weapons program midstream is rare and suggests internal reassessment of operational needs, technical maturity, or budget prioritization.