US Army Considers Adopting an Interim Battle Rifle in 7.62NATO: eventually adopt 6.5

[LRRPF52]

Everything I'm seeing intends to keep 5.56 NATO as a staple for PDWs and lightweight, suppressed carbines with he SURG uppers that drop on to existing M4A1 lowers.

With the addition of 6.5mm SSRs and 6.5mm AMGs, you can task-organize and tailor the unit structure per mission requirements, the terrain, and collateral effects considerations.

Units in SOCOM have been using an Arms Room approach for a long time now already, where each Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine has had a variety of individual shoulder-fired weapons to choose from for the mission.

This includes:

MP5SD 9mm SMG

14.5" M4A1 SOPMOD upper
10.3" CQBR upper
Mk.12 Mod 0 and Mod 1 SPR (most uppers have been pulled from service)
SOPMOD Block II upper with 14.5" barrel, free float handguard
Unit-level built SOPMOD Block II upper with precision barrel for DM work

M203 40mm GL equipped upper
M320 40mm GL
M79 40mm GL

SR25 7.62 NATO SASS (Sniper Trained personnel)
Mk.14 EBR 7.62 NATO DMR (pulled from service, support discontinued)
M110 7.62 NATO SASS

Mk.16 SCAR-L 5.56 NATO with 13" and 16" barrels (support discontinued)
Mk.17 SCAR-H 7.62NATO with 13" and 16" barrels (support discontinued)

Mk.46 SAW 5.56 NATO belt-fed
Mk.48 7.62 NATO belt-fed

M240B 7.62 NATO GPMG
M240L 7.62 NATO LW GPMG

Mk.13 .300 Win Mag Sniper Rifle

M107 .50 BMG Semi-Auto Interdiction Rifle

Commanders and key leaders have the most influence in most units as to who will carry what for the mission. 5.56/M4 SOPMOD will continue to be the staple individual carbine, but not everybody carries M4s.