XM7 / MCX Spear

The United States Army initiated the Next Generation Squad Weapon program in January 2019 to identify replacements for the M4 carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. The program was prompted by concerns that developments in body armor had reduced the effectiveness of standard-issue infantry calibers. SIG Sauer submitted its MCX-SPEAR design in September 2019, and the Army awarded the company a ten-year production contract in April 2022. Initially designated as the XM5 to follow the existing nomenclature sequence, the weapon was renamed the XM7 in January 2023 to resolve a trademark conflict with Colt's M5 carbine. The system received official type classification as the M7 rifle in May 2025.

The rifle utilizes a short-stroke gas-operated piston system with a rotating bolt. The external design incorporates a free-floating, reinforced M-LOK handguard that features slotted mounting points for direct accessory attachment. Ammunition is fed from detachable box magazines based on the SR-25 pattern. The weapon is designed for standard-issue deployment with a dedicated suppressor to mitigate firing signatures. Aiming is assisted by the integrated M157 Fire Control optic, which incorporates a laser rangefinder and a ballistic calculator. Later structural revisions optimized the platform's profile by utilizing a redesigned upper receiver, a slimmer barrel, lighter internal parts, and a fixed stock configuration that eliminates the folding stock hinge. These revisions also introduced a shortened suppressor wrapped in a lightweight thermal shield to delay thermal signatures under night-vision and thermal optics.

The weapon entered active service in March 2024, with initial fielding assigned to the 101st Airborne Division. User evaluations began earlier in September 2023 with the 101st Airborne Division and the 75th Ranger Regiment, followed by training exercises conducted by the 25th Infantry Division in January 2026. While primarily slated for close combat forces—including infantry, cavalry scouts, combat engineers, forward observers, and medics—the contract contains options for adoption by the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Special Operations Command. Variants of the platform include the PIE (Product Improvement Effort) M7, introduced in September 2025 as a lightened standard-length option, and a shortened carbine variant. The Army selected this carbine design for procurement in December 2025, designating it as the XM8 carbine, and accepted its first deliveries in April 2026.