After years of field testing, the Marines this week issued the service’s largest contract for polymer-cased .50 cal BMG ammunition.
The five-year $95 million contract, awarded to Nammo to be filled at the company’s MAC facility in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, was issued on Tuesday by the Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, Virginia.
As I previously reported at Guns.com, the Marines have been ordering polymer-cased .50 cal from MAC as far back as 2019. The company uses an advanced polymer caselet over a metal cap to reduce ammo weight by as much as 30 percent and provide cooler chamber temperatures, ejecting cool-to-the-touch cases. No modifications are necessary in weapons or procedures when using their polymer-cased cartridges.
Both the case and link are polymer. (Photos: Lance Cpl. Ryan Ramsammy/USMC)
Lighter weight per round comes in handy in logistics-limited operations typical of the Marines, who must move every bullet ashore either via aircraft, landing craft, or amphibious vehicle. In tests, a 100-round belt of polymer-cased .50 cal is 7 pounds lighter compared to legacy brass-cased rounds.
“This polymer ammunition also reduces fuel costs not only for aircraft but also for logistics and supply,” said Marine CWO3 Chad Cason, the project officer for .50-cal polymer ammunition at MCSC, in a 2022 release. “You can fit more ammunition on the pallet, increasing the overall pallet space used on a truck or ship. You can carry more on vehicles into combat or training as well.”
The Marines issued a $10 million contract to MAC in 2020.
A U.S. Marine with 2d Battalion, 8th Marines, zeros his rifle during a live fire range as a part of a Service Level Training Exercise (SLTE) on Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, July 21, 2023. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance. Joshua Kumakaw)
Michigan-based Trijicon recently picked up an eight-figure contract from the Marine Corps Logistics Command.
The Marines widely use the Trijicon 4×32 TA31 ACOG as the service’s Rifle Combat Optic on its M16 and M4 platforms, a practice made standard in 2008 after the acquisition of some 104,000 of the devices, leaving iron sights behind almost altogether after 2011. The service also utilizes smaller numbers of Trijicon’s VCOG 1-8×28 LPVO, primarily on its HK-made M27 IAR platform, turning it into an ersatz DMR.
The new $20,702,792 contract stipulates that Trijicon will provide “all materials, labor, equipment, facilities, and necessary repair or replacement parts required to inspect, diagnose, test, and restore RCOs to a fully mission-capable condition.” The work will be performed at Trijicon’s Wixom, Michigan, with an expected completion date of June 2030.
The Corps had previously issued a $41 million repair contract to Trijicon for legacy ACOGs in 2020, which expired earlier this year.
While the Army also uses the ACOG, that service is currently fielding a $2.7 billion contract with Wisconsin-based Vortex for up to 250,000 XM157 Next Generation Squad Weapons-Fire Control systems. These optics will be used on the M7 rifle and M250 machine gun, 6.8x51mm platforms set to replace the 5.56 NATO-caliber M4 carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.
Official period caption: “A gun crew of the 383rd Infantry Regiment, 96th Infantry Division, loads a shell into the new 57mm recoilless rifle to fire against Japanese pillboxes and caves on Okinawa, 10 June 1945.”
Photographer not credited. Photo Source: U.S. National Archives. Digitized by Signal Corps Archive. SC 208846
The M18 (T15E3) recoilless rifle seen above was new indeed.
Fielded in 1945, it was light, at “just” 44 pounds, and used the same tripod as the water-cooled Browning M1917 machine gun, or could be bipod-launched to save weight. It could be fired from the shoulder like the much smaller bazooka in a pinch. Later models used the M26 direct-fire sight.
Developed at the U.S. Army’s Infantry Section with cues from loaned British and captured German designs by two engineers, named Kroger and Musser, the gun was initially termed the “Kromuskit” after its daddies.
The Army ultimately fielded seven rounds for the cute little guy:
Three 5.3-pound 57mm shells for the M18 could be carried in the already fielded M6 rocket bag (designed for the 2.36-in bazooka rockets).
For use by airborne troops, it could be dropped in a M10 Paracrate complete with 14 rounds of ammo. The follow-on M12 Paracrate could carry 14 rounds of ammo as well as an M1917 tripod.
This “pocket artillery” was first used in combat in the Pacific in Okinawa, where its HE and WP shells proved particularly adept at handling dug-in pockets of Japanese.
It remained in use in Korea and with U.S. allies (and enemies, such as the unlicensed Communist Chinese Type 36) throughout the Cold War.
A GI with an M18 recoilless rifle in Korea – May 1951. While ineffective against T-34s, it was still a lifesaver firing 133-slug canister shot at incoming waves of Chinese “Volunteers” and in zapping lightly dug-in positions with HE and WP. LIFE Magazine Archives – Michael Rougier Photographer.
Austrian Tiroler Jägerbataillon with M18 recoilless rifle, circa late 1950s. Bestanddeelnr 254-4382
The M18 was replaced in American service by the larger and more effective M20 75mm, M67 90mm, and M40 105mm RRs, and those, by the 1980s, by more modern guided anti-tank weapons.
Of course, they won’t be yellow when they get operational, but the Navy quietly marked a milestone in undersea warfare: the successful forward-deployed launch and recovery of the HHI Yellow Moray uncrewed underwater vehicle, a variant of the company’s REMUS 600 series UUV, from the USS Delaware (SSN 791), a Block III Virginia-class submarine. In a further note, Delaware was the first American warship commissioned while underwater, making her the ideal historical testbed for such devices.
250501-N-N0736-1001 NORFOLK (May 01, 2025) – Sailors attached to the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Delaware (SSN 791) lower a Yellow Moray (REMUS 600) unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) into the water during a UUV exercise in Haakosnsvern Naval Base in Haakonsvern, Norway, and then swim it to the sub. (Courtesy Photo)
The Yellow Moray UUV executed a pre-programmed mission profile showcasing the potential to greatly enhance the Navy’s subsea and seabed warfare (SSW) capabilities. The successful completion of this mission demonstrates the feasibility of deploying robotic and autonomous systems from submarines, opening new possibilities for clandestine operations and battlespace preparation. As part of this operation, Delaware executed three Yellow Moray UUV sorties of about 6-10 hours each using the same vehicle, validating the reliability of the system and the ability to execute multiple missions without the need for divers to launch and recover the vehicle.
But wait, there is more:
This deployment also highlighted the ability of the Submarine Force and UUV Group 1 to learn fast and overcome barriers. During the first attempts to launch and recover in a Norwegian Fjord in February, the vehicle failed to recover to the torpedo tube after multiple attempts. After recovering the UUV to a surface support vessel, technicians discovered damage to a critical part. To avoid impacts to the ship’s deployment schedule and operations, the Submarine Force (SUBFOR) shipped the UUV back to the U.S. and replaced the failed component. Knowing there was another opportunity to operate the system later in the deployment, SUBFOR returned the UUV to the theater where Delaware completed an expeditionary reload, and multiple successful UUV torpedo tube launch and recovery operations. As part of the expeditionary load, the team also executed a first-ever pierside diver torpedo tube load of the UUV in Norway, providing the operational commander with flexible options.
While the Yellow Moray itself doesn’t have much information, check out this backgrounder on the REMUS 620, its developmental “daddy”:
U.S. Marines with Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA(AW)) 533 transport an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sept. 28, 2022. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Gabriel Durand)
First fired successfully in September 1953 (!) and bagged its first confirmed aerial kills in 1958, the AIM-9 Sidewinder is still very much in demand and on front-line service in its 70s.
Of course, the current fifth-generation infra-red AIM-9X tactical weapon system family, which debuted in 2004 and has delivered well over 10,000 examples, is not your grandfather’s Sidewinder.
Unlike previous AIM-9 models, the AIM-9X can even be used against ground targets and has Lock-On-After-Launch and Data Link capabilities. Little wonder that it is used by 29 countries.
With that in mind, it should be no surprise that the DOD just announced a $1.1B contract for right at 2,000 war-shot and around 200 training missiles for both U.S. and overseas customers. This points to a cost of about $500K per round, which is a bargain compared to a $1.3 million longer-range AIM-132 AMRAAM.
As Sidewinders have proved useful against incoming Iranian and Houthi missiles in the Middle East in the past couple of years, a lot of these new purchases are likely to backfill for expended rounds.
Plus, the Ukrainians have shown them to be useful when fired in a novel fashion from their Magura 7 SAM-equipped air defense drone boats, which have claimed two shootdowns of Russian tactical aircraft in recent weeks over the Black Sea, ala Cold War M48 Chaparral style.
Anyway, the announcement:
Raytheon Co., Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $1,100,806,209 modification (P00004) to a previously awarded fixed-price incentive (firm-target) contract (N0001924C0032). This modification exercises options for the production and delivery of AIM-9X production Lot 25 requirements as follows: 1,756 AIM-9X-4 Block II All Up Round Tactical Missiles (492 for the Navy, 456 for the Air Force, and 808 for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers); 242 AIM-9X-5 Block II+ All Up Round Tactical Missiles for FMS customers; 187 Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM)-9X-4 (40 for the Navy, 62 for the Air Force, and 85 for FMS customers); 13 Special Air Training Missiles (NATM) (five for the Air Force and eight for FMS customers); six Data Air Test Missiles for FMS customers; 30 Multi-Purpose Training Missile for FMS customers; eight Block I Tactical Sectionalization Kits for the Air Force; seven Block I CATM Sectionalization Kits for the Air Force; 33 Block II Tactical Sectionalization Kit (21 for the Navy, eight for the Air Force, and four for FMS customers); 34 Block II CATM Sectionalization Kits (24 for the Navy, six for the Air Force, and four for FMS customers); 31 Block II Tactical Maintenance Kits (30 for the Navy and one for FMS customers); 28 Block II CATM Maintenance Kits (27 for the Air Force and one for FMS customers), as well as various associated spares, containers, and support equipment. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (36.14%); North Logan, Utah (9.96%); Niles, Illinois (7.83%); Keyser, West Virginia (7.65%); Hillsboro, Oregon (4.71%); Midland, Ontario, Canada (3.17%); Heilbronn, Germany (2.58%); Goleta, California (2.5%); Simsbury, Connecticut (2.49%); Anaheim, California (2.39%); Minneapolis, Minnesota (2.10%); Murrieta, California (2.10%); Valencia, California (1.68%); San Diego, California (1.57%); Kalispell, Montana (1.56%); St. Albans, Vermont (1.21%); Anniston, Alabama (1.15%); San Jose, California (1.12%); Cincinnati, Ohio (1.03%); and various other locations within the continental U.S. (7.06%), and is expected to be complete by October 2028. Fiscal 2025 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $490,708,962; fiscal 2025 missile procurement funds in the amount of $183,651,109; fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,082,840; fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount of $952,404; fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $664,351; fiscal 2024 missile procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $55,470,485; fiscal 2024 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,961,405; fiscal 2024 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount of $952,404; fiscal 2023 missile procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $8,768,269; fiscal 2023 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,448; and FMS customer funds in the amount of $597,227,867, will be obligated at the time of award, of which $19,623,826 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract action was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
For better or worse, the third-hand 360-foot oilfield support vessel M/V Aiviq, acquired in December 2024 from an Edison Chouest Offshore subsidiary, was renamed the future USCGC Storis (WAGB 21) and has spent the past six months in a series of shipyard availabilities along the Gulf Coast.
This week, “following modifications to enhance communications and self-defense capabilities,” the country’s newest “polar icebreaker” departed Bollinger’s yard in Escatawpa (formerly VT Halter) on its “maiden voyage to safeguard U.S. sovereign interests in the Arctic and conduct Coast Guard missions.”
Photos courtesy of Edison Chouest Offshore.
While scheduled to be commissioned in Juneau this August, where she will eventually be based once the service has built the necessary infrastructure for her, in the meantime, Storis will be homeported in Seattle with the agency’s other icebreakers. The cutter’s new skipper is the former captain of the USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10), so at least he is used to working with a mixed bill of goods.
To be clear, Storis will be used as a bridging strategy to “expand U.S. operational presence in the Arctic and support Coast Guard missions.”
At the same time, the service awaits the delivery of the delayed, and much more capable (potentially to include anti-ship missiles) 460-foot, 19,000-ton (launch weight) icebreaking multi-mission Polar Security Cutter class.
The commercial variant of the short-lived G49. Note the “chopped” dust cover leaving an exposed chin on the slide, the standard fixed polymer sights, and the optics plate. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Word is circulating far and wide that a ton of Glockmodels, some that have been around for decades, could be headed for that great big polymer pasture in the sky.
Between posts on gun forums, videos from giant Glock retailers, and a list on Glock’s European website, it would appear that as many as 26 models and 100 SKUs may soon be removed from the company’s catalog.
Sifting through the tea leaves, most models appear to be guns in arcane or aging calibers such as .357 SIG, .40 S&W (even in Gen 5 models), and .45 GAP. Also gone are the company’s few remaining production Gen 3s and most of the Gen 4s, anything with upgraded sights such as Ameriglo Bolds or Glock Night Sights, and the new G49. This heavily impacts guns that were grandfathered on California’s approved handgun roster, which sucks for folks out there.
Keep in mind that none of this should be that shocking, as the G49 was billed from the beginning as a limited run. Glock was really the only company trying to make the .45 GAP happen, and many handgun makers have long ago stepped away from .357 SIG and .40 S&W. Case in point: SIG has not produced pistols in those latter two calibers for several years. Plus, it is common for gunmakers to clean up their catalogs and discontinue certain configurations wholesale, something that Glock hasn’t done in a long time.
Enjoyers of .45 ACP and 10mm Auto, as well as .380 ACP fans, will still have lots to choose from – at least in Gen 5 models – as will folks who stock 9mm in deep quantity.
What does this mean for the bigger picture? It’s clear from offerings like the new Glock/Aimpoint A-Cut/COA line introduced earlier this year that optics-ready models will likely be front and center moving forward, and most of the models mentioned for deletion simply are not capable of accepting a dot right out of the box.
Is Glock clearing the way for the inevitable Gen 6? Maybe.
In the meantime, you can bet that new old stock specimens of these discontinued guns – now instant collectibles to die-hard Glock fans – will be hot commodities soon offered (while available) at below minimum advertised prices, since MAP will likely be suspended on these “clearance” guns.
It could be a good time to shop Glock.
Per Glock:
Discontinued Commercial Pistol Models
G17 – Gen4
G17 MOS – Gen4 | Gen5
G17L – Classic | Gen3
G17L MOS – Gen5
G19 – Gen4
G19 MOS – Gen4
G20 – Gen3 | Gen4
G21 – Gen3 | Gen4
G21SF
G22 – Gen3 | Gen4 | Gen5
G22 MOS – Gen5
G23 – Gen4 | Gen5
G23 MOS – Gen5
G24
G26 – Gen4
G27 – Gen3 | Gen 4 | Gen5
G29 – Gen3 | Gen 4 | Gen5
G29SF
G30 – Gen3 | Gen 4 | Gen5
G31 – Gen3 | Gen4
G32 – Gen3 | Gen4
G33 – Gen3 | Gen4
G34 – Gen3 | Gen4
G34 MOS – Gen4 | Gen5
G35 – Gen3 | Gen4
G35 MOS – Gen4
G36
G36 FGR
G37 – Gen3 | Gen4
G38
G39
G40 MOS – Gen4
G41 – Gen4
G41 MOS – Gen4
G49
Why is GLOCK discontinuing so many models?
In order to focus on the products that will drive future innovation and growth, we are making a strategic decision to reduce our current commercial portfolio. This streamlined approach allows us to concentrate on continuing to deliver the highest-quality and most relevant solutions for the market.
What does this mean for me as a customer?
You’ll still have access to the most popular GLOCK models you know and love, just with a more focused selection.
Will discontinued models still be supported?
Yes! Just like we do with previous generations. We will continue to service discontinued models.
Do these portfolio changes affect law enforcement agencies?
GLOCK remains fully committed to supporting the varying needs of our law enforcement partners. While IOP programs may be affected, GLOCK is prepared to work closely with LE partners to make sure officer and agency needs are met. For more questions, contact your LE District Manager.
Official period caption, June 1945: “Italy — Historic meeting at Vesuvius; crusty old jet looks down on bright new jets during the Lockheed P-80s’ visit to Italy.”
U.S. Army Air Force Photo Number 57638AC. Print received June 1945 from Publications Section, AC/AS Intelligence. Used in an issue of “Impact”, June 1945. Copied 12 June 1945. CONFIDENTIAL Classification cancelled by WD Circular #24, para. National Archives Identifier 204908286
Equipped with a General Electric I-40/J33 engine, the P-80 Shooting Star became the first U.S. aircraft to exceed 500 miles per hour in level flight, and was the best Allied jet fighter of WWII, albeit it only came into it at the very end. Note that the above aircraft lack the type’s iconic “tip tanks.”
Two of the aircraft shown in the above image have visible tail numbers: 44-83028 (MSN 080-1007) and 44-83029 (MSN 080-1008), denoting them as among the first 13 YP-80A test aircraft. They were from a group of just four aircraft that were rushed to Europe as part of Project Extraversion.
The Lockheed YP-80A Shooting Star, one of just two in Italy, had a nose packing six 50 cals. “Print received June 1945 from Publications Section, AC/AS Intelligence. Used in an issue of “IMPACT”, June 1945. Copied 12 June 1945. CONFIDENTIAL. Classification cancelled by WD Circular #24, Para. USAAF 57639AC”
Flown by Wright Field test personnel, they were the first “combat” Shooting Stars, assigned to the 1st Fighter Group at Lesina Airfield in December 1944, from where they reportedly were tasked with shooting down passing Luftwaffe Arado Ar 234 reconnaissance jet aircraft. Returned stateside after the war, 44-83028 became a drone while 44-83029 crashed on 2 August 1945 near Brandenburg, Kentucky, taking her pilot with her.
Two other early YP-80s had been sent to Britain at the same time, where one, 44-83026, killed test pilot Major Frederic Borsodi in a crash at RAF Burtonwood. The second YP-80A sent to England, 44-83027, was transferred to Rolls-Royce and fitted with a prototype Rolls-Royce RB.41 Nene engine, then cracked up on 14 November 1945.
The first 20 or so production P-80As, starting with serial 44-84992, were shipped to the USAAF’s 31st FS (412th FG) (4th AF) at March Field and Muroc Field (now Edwards AFB), California, starting in mid-1945, replacing the troubled Bell P-59 Airacomet jet fighter.
You have to be under a rock to have not seen the news that Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) recently hit the button on an operation– dubbed “Pavutyna” (Spideweb)– some 18 months in the making.
The complex logistics involved smuggling nearly 200 FPV drones and their mobile storage hangars into Russia.
The drones, likely fiber-optic controlled (hence “Spider Web”) so as to counteract EW defenses, were hidden inside 20-foot ISO shipping containers with roofs rigged to slide open via remote control to allow their UAV cargoes to lift off toward their targets– Russian strategic aircraft, often nuclear-capable.
The trucks were staged very near bases and controlled via datalink back in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the drivers were already well on their way to exfiltrating.
Check this out for a great nuts and bolts on how the raid happened.
While one strike– on the Ukrainka air base near Seryshevo in far-off Amur oblast– failed when the truck exploded, four other strikes, using 117 drones, were more successful.
The strikes hit:
Belaya Air Base in the Irkutsk Region of the Russian Far East, some 2,600 miles from Ukraine, damaging at least one Tu-95MS Bear and two Tu-22M3 Blackjacks. TASS reports it is the first strike into Siberia during the war.
Near Murmansk, the Ukrainians hit Olenya Air Base, some 1,100 miles north of their border, damaging at least 4 Tu-95s, allegedly a Tu-160 Swan, and an An-12.
At Ivanono Air Base, some 620 miles north of Ukraine and only 150 miles from Moscow, they hit an A-50 Mainstay (Russki AWACS).
Closest to home, at Dyaglievo near Ryazan, some 320 miles north of Ukraine and some 120 miles from Moscow, they hit “more than 10” aircraft.
The damage assessments and claims are all over the place. Whereas Ukraine says they damaged/destroyed 41 strategic Russian airframes, according to the OSINT project AviVector, only 13 were hit on camera.
The Russians themselves are tight-lipped as to any losses.
It was dramatic, for sure, but it took 18 months to set up, and surely benefited from Western intelligence as to targeting packages.
Did it reallyaccomplish a lot?
Probably not on a strategic scale, other than the fact that it will now stress the Russians into sanitizing their bases, far from the front lines, for random trucks and curious buildings anywhere within a few kilometers of their flight lines, as the fiber-optic controlled battery-powered drones have a very short range. This ties down troops. Lots of them. All for the cost of some cheap drones, some converted trucks, and the risk to some drivers who were already headed home before the button was pressed.
The big thing is the precedent.
‘Taranto Harbour, Swordfish from Illustrious Cripple the Italian Fleet, 11 November 1940′ by Charles David Cobb. Painting in the collection of the National Museum
Much how the nighttime raid on the Italian port of Taranto by 21 Fleet Air Arm Fairly Swordfish on 11/12 November 1940 left three Italian battleships and a heavy cruiser damaged, but paved the way for a much more successful and much larger strike by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor 13 months later, Pavutyna could be the rough blueprint for a first strike in the next big war.
USS SHAW exploding at Pearl Harbor. NARA 80-G-16871
What if China had 2,000 such drones set to attack 50 strategic bases and communication nodes in the U.S. on D1? What if they had another 2,000 set to go after infrastructure such as nuclear power plants, dams, and the like?
At the same time, the five Marine Corps bases will host drone competitions to test Marine teams from across the fleet on “hunter-killer” drone employment, speed, and agility, with the first event occurring at Quantico, Virginia, in November.
Perhaps one of the best jazz album covers ever: Underground by Thelonious Monk (Columbia, May 1968). Where else are you going to find Lugers, an MP40, an M1911, M1 pineapple grenades, demo gear, a field telephone, and multiple radio sets, as well as a Morse key?
The album cover is an ode to the young British-born Baroness Kathleen Annie Pannonica ‘Nica’ de Koenigswarter (née Rothschild), who, at the time of the initial German occupation of Northern France some 85 years ago this month, opened her Château d’Abondant to displaced refugees and evacuees. She later managed to escape the country and joined her husband, Jules de Koenigswarter, who was abroad with De Gaulle’s Free French forces. She pitched in herself as a codebreaker for Gaullist intelligence and served as an on-air host at Radio Brazzaville(the Free French England-based Radio Europe). She finally became an ambulance driver for the 1st Free French Division during the North African Campaign in 1942-43.
The Baroness, who moved to New York after the war, later became a noted patron of the arts, particularly jazz musicians, including Monk (who was 4F during WWII), personally. This is why several jazzmen have songs about “Nica” (Kenny Drew: Blues for Nica, Horace Silver: Nica’s Dream, Gigi Gryce: Nica’s Tempo, Sonny Clark: Nica, Tommy Flanagan: Thelonica, et.al)
Her image is reportedly hidden in the cover as well, perhaps mocked up with a STEN gun.
