Tactical Life posts that the military is changing to the 6.8 in SAW and M4

[NugginFutz]

30 years will see a radical change in battlefield tactics, as well as aerial combat. Directed Energy weapons are being enthusiastically developed by all the major powers, with several examples already fielded, land sea and air. China has apparently already announced a man portable DE weapon, capable of carbonizing skin within 1/2 mile. And, yes, it's battery powered. (Picture the Energizer Bunny wearing an exo-suit and a plasma rifle in the 40 watt range.)

I've personally participated in various successful shoot down events involving DE weapons of various types. The targets ranged from drones and UAV's, to mortar rounds in the air, to full scale ballistic missiles. Other team members lit up seaborne craft and disabled various personnel vehicles.

The times, they are a-changin', my friends. The only thing holding the full scale development and deployment of such things is the anticipated world-wide condemnation of such weapons on the battlefield (the haves and the have-nots will have different points of view as to what is considered humane), and the lack of all weather capability of such systems on the battlefield. For a determined world power, though, these are not particularly significant hurdles to overcome. Ultimately, it comes down to who is willing to throw the greatest pile of $$ at it (or just wait and steal the tech from your neighbor).