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U.S. Army to Field New M8 Carbine in December 2026 With Lighter 6.8mm Caliber Design
The US Army plans to begin fielding SIG Sauer's M8 carbine in December 2026, introducing a lighter, shorter configuration that retains the M7's 6.8×51-millimetre ammunition. The redesign removes more than one pound and shortens the barrel by 3.5 inches, while adding a fixed stock, revised handguard, improved heat shield and softer butt pad. Initial fielding is planned for units at Fort Bragg, with the fiscal 2027 budget requesting 14,944 M8s and no additional M7s. Existing M7 rifles share the serialized lower receiver, although the Army has not announced a fleet-wide conversion decision.