U.S. SOCOM to buy .338 Norma Magnum armor-piercing ammunition.

U.S. Special Operations Command wants to purchase a new type of armor-piercing ammunition from Black Hills Ammunition Inc., according to the U.S. government’s main contracting website.
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Lightweight Medium Machine Guns (LWMMG) mounted on U.S. Special Forces' General Dynamics Flyer-72 vehicle (Picture source: via Military Leak)

USSOCOM recently announced it will award a one time, sole-source supply contract to Black Hills Ammunition Inc. to meet our requirements for the .338 Norma Magnum ammunition due to limitations firing the XM1162 in indoor ranges. The new rifle sniper cartridge with an armor-piercing bullet is used against exposed and sheltered enemy personnel and light armored vehicles when fired from long range precision sniper rifles.

The .338 Norma Magnum is a cartridge first introduced in 2008 and came into production in 2009, designed by Norma of Sweden. In May 2017 the U.S. Special Operations Command, in conjunction with the U.S. Marine Corps, issued a sources sought notice for 5,000 Lightweight Medium Machine Guns (LWMMG) chambered for .338 Norma Magnum polymer-cased ammunition. The aim is to identify a machine gun with a 24 inches (610 mm) long barrel weighing 24 pounds (10.9 kg) or less, which offers sufficient accuracy out to 2,000 metres (2,187 yd) to engage area targets and vehicles. In 2019, the U.S. Special Operations Command awarded Barrett Manufacturing a $50,000,000 contract, ordering the Barrett MRAD chambered in .338 Norma Magnum as the Mk 22 Advanced Sniper Rifle (ASR). In 2020 the U.S. Special Operations Command awarded Sig Sauer a contract, ordering the MG-338 machine gun chambered in .338 Norma Magnum.