#USAF

The US Air Force has announced that it has begun fielding the first of approximately 125,000 new SIG Sauer M18 Modular Handgun System 9x19mm pistols. The Air Force announced that it has opted for the more compact M18 over the M17, selected by the US Army, in May 2018. The very first pistols began reaching Air Force Security Forces in March 2019.

For anyone who coveted the US Air Force’s new M4 survival rifle, GAU-5A ASDW, Midwest Industries have answered your prayers and introduced a clone, the MI-GAU5A-P.

The US Air Force Gunsmith Shop, part of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Armament Directorate, at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas recently completed delivery of the new GAU-5A survival rifle for aircrews. TFBB first reported that the USAF had developed a new survival rifle for pilots and aircrews forced to eject over hostile territory back in June 2018. We got our first proper look at the new rifle in May 2019, when the new Aircrew Self Defense Weapons (ASDW) was seen in the hands of F-22 Raptor pilots at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska.

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) recently hosted General David L. Goldfein, a four-star general, who is the current Chief of Staff of the Air Force where he recieved his new M18 Modular Handgun System sidearm. The AFOSI also hosted General Stephen W. Wilson, the current Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, at Joint Base Andrews where they joined a training and proficiency training session with the new M18 pistol and other weapons used by the AFOSI.

Back in March, we reported that the Air Force Security Forces Center had received its first Modular Handgun System compact M18 pistols. Now the first USAF Security Force Squadrons are receiving their first pistols with the 673d SFS, based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, receiving new M18s.

Back in June 2018, we reported on the US Air Force’s new survival/self-defence weapon – the GAU-5A. The GAU-5A is an upgrade to the M4 which allows it to be stowed in the survival kit of US Air Force fighter jets. The Aircrew Self Defense Weapons (ASDW) is fitted with a takedown system that allows the rifle’s barrel to be detached from the receiver and it is also fitted with a folding pistol grip.

The US Air Force has begun to issue the new M18 Modular Handgun System to Air Force Security Forces. The new compact M18 will replace both the Beretta M9 and the older SIG Sauer M11A1 pistols with Air Force security personnel.

At the 2018 NDIA Armaments Forum the US Air Force detailed some of their current major small arms programmes. One of these was for a new ultra compact Aircrew Self Defense Weapon. This is a compact conversion of standard M4 carbines into a package small enough to be stowed aboard USAF combat aircraft.

The US Army is seeking 12,600 Magpul PMag Gen M3 magazines, or equivalents, from commercial vendors, according to a recently updated listing on FedBizOpps, posted in early August. This announcement was updated soon after the news that Army TACOM had authorized the requisition of Gen M3 PMags with unit funds, by unit commanders

The US Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) has just authorized the purchase of Magpul PMag Gen M3 polymer magazines through requisition by unit commanders, marking a major step in the use of PMag magazines in Army service. Although a previous clarification in 2012 authorized the magazines for use, they could not be purchased using unit (that is to say, Army) funds. The full announcement is replicated below, courtesy of Soldier Systems Daily:

With the termination of the Interim Combat Service Rifle, the CSASS program on hold, and the XM25 CDTE dead and buried, many are wondering: When will the Army get its act together on small arms? Given the long history of Army program failures, though, maybe a better question would be: If the Army can’t take the lead on small arms development, who can?

The US Air Force’s recent decision to adopt the Magpul PMag Gen M3 was based on Army testing conducted in 2015, according to a spokesperson for the Air Force. In a communication with Military.com writer Matthew Cox, Vicki Stein of the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center said that the US Army’s  M855A1 Conformance Testing on Commercial Magazines report, published by Aberdeen Proving Grounds in January of 2015, was the basis for the USAF’s decision. “When pursuing any capability based requirement, and before conducting any tests, the Air Force will first work closely with our joint partners to see if they have conducted any testing. In this instance, we utilized the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center’s M855A1 Conformance Testing on Commercial Magazines to make our decision,” Stein told Cox.

The United States Air Force has become the second US military service to adopt the Magpul PMag as their standard rifle magazine. According to the document USAF AUTHORIZED SMALL ARMS and LIGHT WEAPONS (SA/LW) ACCESSORIES (as of 28 July 17) the Magpul PMag Gen M3 magazine will be replacing both the legacy grey body USGI magazines, as well as the new tan body/blue follower Enhanced Performance magazine in USAF service. The document can be viewed here, but the relevant segment is excerpted below:

The US Army’s M17 Modular Handgun System, derived from the SIG P320 handgun, has crossed one of the final hurdles on the track to full replacement of previous service handguns (including chiefly the Beretta M9). The United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force have all announced their acceptance of the M17 MHS as the new sidearm for each respective service, according to a story written by Matthew Cox for KitUp!

This post is brought to you by TFB field correspondents on the hunt for interesting firearms news and history around the world. And by correspondents, I mean my Mom and Dad traveling through Dayton, Ohio where they stopped at the U.S. Air Force National Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB. There they came across this exhibit on Lt. Jacob E. Fickel who fired the first shot from an airplane in New York in 1910.