At a hearing on the Army budget, independent U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine questioned officials from the Army about the need for a new rifle for ground forces.
King says several of the U.S.’ potential adversaries are now using body armor that will stop the standard bullets used by U.S. troops.
“The current M4 caliber ammunition will not penetrate the newly developed body armor of our adversaries, which is, to me, a disaster in waiting,” he says.
Army chief of staff, Gen. Mark Milley, says the Army is looking at a range of replacement rifles and shares King’s concern about the problem. He says the Army can and will move swiftly to solve the issue.
