Army Eyeing Replacement for M240B Machine Gun

The Army is preparing to replace its long-serving M240B machine gun, launching a multibillion-dollar program to field a next-generation automatic weapon for frontline troops, according to newly released budget documents.

Dubbed the Future Medium Machine Gun, or FMMG, the new weapon will mirror the M240B in function as a machine gun primarily for dismounted combat units. Service documents say it is intended to offer improved killing power and operational capability over the current platform, which has been in use since the 1970s.

The move comes amid a broader modernization push by the Army to update its small-arms portfolio. Last year, the Army began fielding replacements for the M4 carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon machine gun to soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division and plans for those new weapons to be the standard equipment for troops within the next two decades.