SIG M250

The United States military initiated the Next Generation Squad Weapon Program in January 2019 to replace the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. SIG Sauer submitted prototypes of the light machine gun in September 2019. The manufacturer derived the design of the weapon from its MMG 338, which was under development for the United States Special Operations Command. The design responded to requirements for increased terminal effectiveness against modern body armor. In April 2022, the United States Army awarded SIG Sauer a ten-year contract to produce the weapon system.

The weapon is a belt-fed light machine gun operating via a gas-operated short-stroke piston and an open bolt system. It incorporates a proprietary recoil mitigation system. The exterior features a free-floating reinforced M-LOK handguard for mounting accessories to negative-space attachment points. The buttstock is collapsible but does not fold, and the barrel is fixed rather than a quick-change design. The primary optic is the M157 fire-control system, which integrates a direct-view optic, laser rangefinder, ballistic solver, environmental sensors, aiming lasers, a digital compass, and a digital display for corrected targeting data.

The United States Army designated the weapon as the XM250 during development, before type-classifying it as the M250 in May 2025. Initial deliveries for user testing reached the 101st Airborne Division and the 75th Ranger Regiment in September 2023, with official fielding beginning with the 101st Airborne Division in March 2024. The production contract allows for potential adoption by the United States Marine Corps and United States Special Operations Command. Globally, the Israel Defense Forces adopted a variant of this machine gun family in 2025. Manufacturer variants are produced under the SIG SAUER LMG designation, configured for different cartridge types.