Looking beyond the M4

[unhappycamper]

Scaling back M4 buys
Army looks for new carbine for soldiers


Looking beyond the M4
By Matthew Cox - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Nov 13, 2008 18:06:29 EST

As the Army scales back on its M4 carbine buys, the service’s top official said Thursday it’s time to look for the next carbine soldiers will carry into battle.

Secretary of the Army Pete Geren’s comments set the tone for the small arms industry day that drew 19 companies from across the country to Washington, D.C., with the hope of replacing the service’s M4 carbine.

“Today is an important step in an effort to ensure that our soldiers always have the best,” Geren said. “Not just the best today, but the best tomorrow.”

The Army-sponsored event is the result of a “request for information” the service put out in August to assess what the U.S. small arms industry is capable of producing.

The Army purchased of the remaining balance of 473,000 M4s Wednesday, which will be delivered over the next two years, Geren said.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/army_carbine_111308w/%2e