Armaments Research Company, Inc. (ARC)’s Internet-of-Things (IoT) full-stack technology will be introduced in the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program of record for the US Army, in partnership with Sig Sauer.
ARC’s technology platform will provide data on individual weapons at scale. The resulting insights will enable units to regularly assess weapons’ health, reduce failure rates, extend the lifetime of a weapon and optimize maintenance plans, enhancing performance and reducing costs. The data can also improve a unit’s understanding of its readiness, which measures the unit’s fundamental ability to deploy quickly.
The weapons intelligence platform works with tactical tools and frontline Artificial Intelligence (AI) to ensure mission readiness and improve small-unit performance. The platform enables the Army to capture mission-critical data from individual- and tactical-level weapons at scale, helping leaders at all levels make informed decisions during and after training to improve readiness, performance and operational efficiency.
“Our team is thrilled to partner with Sig Sauer to deliver this groundbreaking platform and refresh the Army’s weapons for the first time in several decades,” said ARC CEO, Michael Canty. “The Army NGSW program office is pushing the boundaries in seeking a modern, data-driven approach to weapons readiness and we are honored to contribute. With tens of thousands of new weapons as data sources in the field, we can optimize equipment safety and reliability, ultimately harnessing this data to save lives.”
The Army’s initiative will replace its individual rifles, squad machine guns, fire control system, and ammunition for the first time in 65 years in order to help modernize and better equip its warfighters.
The NGSW program’s intention to revolutionize the Army’s tactical weapons comes in response to findings that current weapons systems threaten conflict overmatch. More than 1,000 soldiers provided hands-on feedback during weapon testing and selection.
The first production delivery of NGSW weapons will include ARC’s round count and inventory management system, gathering weapons usage data on the units over the next several years.