What project FL4 buys
The Small Caliber Ammo for Next Gen Squad Weapons project is a critical technology development in response to the Soldier Lethality Cross Functional Team (SL CFT) Initial Capability Document (ICD) for the ammunition required to support the rapid prototyping, development, and fielding of the Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) under the Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) authority for rapid prototyping/rapid fielding. The objective is to develop and Full Materiel Release (FMR) the new 6.8mm ammunition in parallel with the NGSW rifle and automatic rifle. The 6.8mm ammunition is split into multiple ammunition variants, the General Purpose (GP), the Special Purpose (SP), the Reduced Range Ammunition (RRA), Tracer Ammunition, Blank Ammunition, the Close Combat Mission Capability Kit (CCMCK) training ammunition, Drill Dummy Inert (DDI) cartridge, and High-Pressure Test (HPT) cartridge. FY 2027 funding will support SP Complex Target Terminal Characterization (CTTC), SP Live Fire Test and Evaluation (LFT&E), Full Material Release (FMR), Persistent Design Optimization, develop prototypes for Limited Lethality Assessment, and CCMCK developmental tests. FY 2027 funding will also support Initiation of detailed design activities for a facility that enables prototyping of new concepts for the Persistent Design Optimization effort as well as activities for transition from Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) to Major Capability Acquisition (MCA). The total cost of the Small Caliber Ammo for Next Gen Squad Weapons Middle Tier of Acquisition effort is $156.7M million RDTE from FY 2020 to FY 2028.
- Product Development
- Support
- Test and Evaluation
Project FL4 funding, FY2025–FY2031
Prior years are actuals, the budget year is the request, and the outyears are the FYDP plan. Estimate types are colored and never summed into one figure. Projects carry the full five-year plan; the activities inside them stop at the budget year.
| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 20.5 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 23.1 |
| FY2027 | Request | 17.3 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 12.3 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 12.4 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 12.4 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 12.5 |
6 accomplishments / planned programs
The R-2A exhibit — the only level of the budget that describes work that has not happened yet. Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only, no five-year plan. 1 of them describes FY2027 work in enough detail to have its own page; the rest are shown here in full. Coverage is partial across the corpus, so count activities, never total them.
Conduct Complex Target Terminal Characterization (CTTC), complete Live Fire Test and Evaluation (LFT&E), achieve Full Material Release (FMR) milestone, initiate persistent design optimization, and develop prototypes for Limited Lethality Assessment. Initiate detailed design activities for a facility that enables prototyping of new…
Read the FY2027 plan →FY2027 planned work Complete the transition from Middle Tier of Acquisition to Major Capability Acquisition (MCA), complete Type Classification (TC), and execute Full Material Release (FMR)
FY2026 to FY2027 change Decrease due to completion of Production Qualification Test (PQT) Build.
FY2026 plans — current year Perform activities in preparation for Full Material Release (FMR), complete PQT build and testing, and activities in preparation for transition from Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) to Major Capability Acquisition (MCA).
FY2025 accomplishments Complete Safety Confirmation build, Safety Confirmation testing, and Soldier Touchpoint.
FY2027 planned work Conduct Design Verification Test (DVT), Critical Design Review (CDR), and Production Qualification Tests. Complete transition from Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) to Major Capability Acquisition (MCA).
FY2026 to FY2027 change Decrease due to completion of prototype build.
FY2026 plans — current year Perform prototype build, conduct developmental tests, and activities in preparation for transition from Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) to Major Capability Acquisition (MCA).
FY2025 accomplishments Award contract for prototype build.
FY2027 planned work Complete activities for Full Materiel Release (FMR) and preparation for transition from Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) to Major Capability Acquisition (MCA).
FY2026 to FY2027 change Decrease due to completion of Production Qualification Test (PQT) Build.
FY2026 plans — current year Complete design optimization effort, production qualification build, production qualification testing (PQT) for optimized RRA round. Conduct developmental tests, and perform activities in preparation for Full Materiel Release (FMR). Perform activities in preparation for transition from Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) to Major Capability Acquisition (MCA).
FY2025 accomplishments Commence design optimization effort and perform developmental tests.
FY2025 accomplishments Perform LFT&E close-out activities in preparation for Full Materiel Release (FMR).
FY2026 to FY2027 change Decrease due to completion of optimization efforts.
FY2026 plans — current year Perform design optimization activities and perform activities in preparation for transition from Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) to Major Capability Acquisition (MCA).
Named performers on project FL4
Performers named in the R-3 exhibit under this project. Share is of the project's whole FY2027 R-3 total — the same denominator the program-element split uses, so the two read on one scale and will not sum to 100% when unnamed or government work is in the mix. Budget-justification contract funding, not obligations.