US Army To Retire Vietnam-Era Bullets, New 6.8 MM Round Will Punch Through Advanced Armor

Success on the battlefield is an ever-evolving science. Many people do not view this as the place for scientific development but that is not the case and the battlefield is a proving ground to see how well weapons work. The United States Army is stepping up its game by creating a better performing bullet for the future battlefields.

General Dynamics-True Velocity, Textron, and Sig Sauer are all concurrently competing for the contract with the United States military. The new 6.8 millimeter round is designed to drive a bullet much farther downrange and create as much damage as possible while keeping the package small and maneuverable, Military.com reported.

There is a new weapon on the forefront for Army soldiers called the squad weapon. With its development comes the necessity for a new bullet -- the current 5.56 millimeter shell is maxed out and underperforms. The M855 A1 enhanced performance round green tip ammo is designed to penetrate body armor and inflict damage. However, the problem is this munition requires much more travel distance before the round can cause damage. The Army has decided to develop a different type of ammunition to overcome these shortcomings.

This new bullet will not have any special abilities. There will be no exploding tips. There will be no hollow points. But it will be designed to travel downrange quickly and inflict as much damage as possible.

While we do not know the specifics, what we do know is that it will be a steel-tipped round sitting on top of a copper slug. Going back to basics may be the most significant advantage in combat superiority.

A new bullet is needed to keep pace with Chinese and Russian war technologies. Arguably, the old 5.56-millimeter rounds can't keep up with advancements in body armor and battlefield technologies. For the U.S. to maintain its posture as a military power, its troops must be outfitted with weaponry and technology that can keep pace with what their adversaries are doing.

There has not been a shift in weapons design of this nature since 1965 when the U.S. Army opted for the M16 rifle. During the Vietnam era, this was the way to go. Its weight and bullets were much lighter in comparison to its predecessors, allowing for better control and downrange accuracy. It had minimal recoil and allowed soldiers to carry much more ammunition because the bullets themselves were much less bulky and cumbersome.

It was great while it lasted but technology has advanced so much that it is no longer as effective as it used to be.