The US Army has signed an agreement with Textron Systems for a system demonstrator that could replace the M249 machine guns. Textron Systems will develop a prototype for the Next Generation Squad Automatic Rifle (NGSAR) under this agreement.

Textron will develop the new platform based on the family Cased-Telescoped Weapons & Ammunition already in the Textron product family. Medium-caliber and magazine-fed weapon is planned to be less than 5.44 kilograms. Thanks to the lightness of the new rifle, the staff is expected to increase mobility and increase accuracy. Textron stated that the new platform will be a combination of ergonomics, firepower and accuracy. The first models will be available in June 2019. It is planned to system will be operational in 2022 in case it is admired.

Cased-Telescoped Weapons & Ammunition is unlike traditional brass cased ammunition. Bullet core is in the propellant. In this case, weight saving is 35% for 5.56 ammunition, 37% for 7.62 ammunition, and overall wight saving can be 40%.