# Project FL4 — Small Caliber Ammo for Next Gen Squad Weapons

**Program element:** 0604802A — Weapons and Munitions - Eng Dev  
**Project:** FL4  
**Component:** U.S. Army  
**Appropriation:** 2040 — RDT&E, Army  
**Budget Activity:** 5 — System Development & Demonstration  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604802A/FL4  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604802A

## Summary

Project FL4 — Small Caliber Ammo for Next Gen Squad Weapons requests $17.3M in FY2027, 14% of the $124.9M requested for program element 0604802A, down 25% on FY2026. 6 R-2A activities decompose the request. Corps of Engineers is the largest named R-3 performer at $2.0M, 12% of the project's FY2027 R-3 total.

## Funding profile

| 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 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0604802A; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## 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.

**R-3 lines of work:** Product Development; Support; Test and Evaluation.

## Named R-3 performers

| Performer | $M | Share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total |
|---|---|---|
| Corps of Engineers | 2.0 | 12% |
| Sig Sauer | 1.0 | 5.8% |

> Budget-justification contract funding, not obligations. Shares need not reach 100% — unnamed and government work is in the denominator.

## Activities (R-2A) — 6

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Prototyping Special Purpose (SP) Ammunition for NGSW | 7.6 | 9.2 | 12.1 | +31% | [a1](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604802A/FL4/a1) |
| Rapid Prototyping Tracer Ammunition for NGSW | 1.8 | 6.7 | 3.2 | −53% | — |
| Rapid Prototyping CCMCK Training Ammo | 1.2 | 2.9 | 1.5 | −48% | — |
| Rapid Prototyping Reduced Range Ammunition (RRA) for NGSW | 0.4 | 3.0 | 0.5 | −83% | — |
| Rapid Prototyping General Purpose (GP) Ammunition for NGSW | 0.6 | — | — | — | — |
| Rapid Prototyping DDI and HPT Cartridges | — | 1.3 | — | −100% | — |

> Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. In the request year they partition this project exactly; in earlier years they can under-cover it.

### Rapid Prototyping Special Purpose (SP) Ammunition for NGSW

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…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604802A/FL4/a1

### Rapid Prototyping Tracer Ammunition for NGSW

**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.

### Rapid Prototyping CCMCK Training Ammo

**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.

### Rapid Prototyping Reduced Range Ammunition (RRA) for NGSW

**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.

### Rapid Prototyping General Purpose (GP) Ammunition for NGSW

**FY2025 accomplishments.** Perform LFT&E close-out activities in preparation for Full Materiel Release (FMR).

### Rapid Prototyping DDI and HPT Cartridges

**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).

## What is NOT on this page

Congressional marks, the R-2 mission description and acquisition strategy, the industry vs government split of the whole request, and related program elements are recorded at **program-element** grain — an NDAA mark lands on a PE, never on a project. They are at https://hitchintel.com/programs/0604802A.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0604802A project FL4 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0604802A")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*