Army Times Editorial: Field the best weapon

The harsh terrain of Iraq and Afghanistan have served as proving grounds for the U.S. Army, putting to the test virtually all that soldiers wear, carry and operate.

One critical lesson has been that the M4 and M16 rifles that regular Army troops carry are dangerously vulnerable to the fine sand and extreme temperatures of those combat zones. Soldiers have had their weapons jam when they most needed them — while under fire. Keeping them clean in the combat zone requires more care than is reasonable to expect from busy, weary soldiers.

Members of Delta Force decided they wanted a weapon more reliable than the Colt-made M4 and bought a new carbine, the 416, from gunmaker Heckler & Koch. The 416 essentially is an enhanced M4 but with a critical difference: It features an operating system that better cycles the heat and gas created when rounds are fired, reducing both the rate at which the wea-pon jams and the wear on parts.

Though the 416 is more reliable and comparable in cost to the M4, Army leaders are not considering it for regular soldiers, saying it did not represent enough of a leap in technology. For that, they have focused on developing the XM29 Objective Individual Combat Weapon. After six years and $100 million, the weapon is deemed too heavy for the battlefield and its future is hazy. Army weapons officials say it will be well into the next decade before the Vietnam-era M16/M4 family of weapons has a replacement.

Army Special Operations Command is not waiting, having decided to develop the Special Operation Combat Assault Rifle to replace the M4. Gunmaker FN won the new contract, and full-rate production could begin later this year.

Colt’s leaders are rightly proud of the M4, which despite jamming problems has proven to be an accurate, well-handling weapon. But what worked well during peacetime in the decades after the Vietnam War ended has shown to be flawed on today’s battlefield.

If soldiers can be made safer with a weapon that’s on the shelves and affordable, there’s no good reason they should have to wait.

The Army should open a competition for a new weapon and welcome H&K, Colt and any interested gunmaker. Then select the best weapon and rush it into the hands of the soldiers putting their lives on the line today.