SOFWERX, in concert with USSOCOM PEO-SOF Warrior (PEO-SW) has announced they will be hosting a Lightweight Machine Gun – Medium (LMG-M) Virtual Industry Day to foster the development of the new machine gun sought by US Special Operations Command.

You may know the LMG-M by its earlier, slightly wordier name Lightweight Medium Machine Gun (LWMMG). These are weapons chambered in hard-hitting magnum calibres like .338 Norma Magnum. These guns fill a niche role somewhere between a 7.62×51mm general purpose machine gun (like the M240, PKM or HK MG5) and a heavy machine gun like the .50 caliber Browning M2 or 12.7×108mm DShK or Kord.

SOFWERX and USSOCOM PEO-SOF Warrior are hosting a Virtual Industry Day to discuss current and future Lightweight Machine Gun-Medium needs for the SOF Operator. Learn more, and request to attend, at https://t.co/260WyblsXy. #SOFWERX #LMGM #MachineGun #OperationalNeeds pic.twitter.com/hA615rYSnx

— SOFWERX (@SOFWERX) January 20, 2021

SOFWERX announcement describes the event as:

an informative session for LMG-M manufacturers that can meet the current requirements and future needs of Special Operations Forces (SOF) Operators. In addition to the review of the performance specification, this session is to incorporate Industry comments into the Request for Proposal (RFP) development process and gain a better understanding of recent machine gun Industry developments.

MG 338 (SIG Sauer)

At the event, the ammunition and weapon specs will be finalised and released to the industry as SOCOM is seeking to move to reach non-Federal Acquisition Regulation agreements for evaluation. The virtual industry day will feed into the development process of the LMG-M’s Request for Proposal.

A SOCOM briefing slide on the LMG-M program, May 2019 (US SOCOM)

There are currently two key players in the LMG-M push: General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems and SIG Sauer. GD-OTS have participated in the program since the requirement’s inception back in 2012. SIG Sauer have also entered the game with a similar weapon, the SIG Sauer MG 338. Both weapons are chambered in .338 Norma Magnum. Back in January 2020, SIG Sauer announced that their machine gun had been delivered to SOCOM for evaluation.

GD-OTS’ LWMMG (GD-OTS)

From declassified SOCOM releases it is clear that it had been hoped the LMG-M would have been up for tender late last year with a request for proposal being issued in October 2020 and a contract award in the 3rd quarter of 2021. The program contract is estimated to be worth around $50 million.

Interested vendors have until 11 February to register to attend the event, with the event itself taking place online on the 18th February which will include requirement outlines, discussion and opportunities for one-to-one meetings with procurement specialists, subject matter experts and SOCOM personnel. Find out details here.