The XM8 was a lightweight, modular rifle system developed in the early 2000's by German arms firm Heckler and Koch. It was heavily based on the German service rifle, the G36, and was intended to serve as a replacement for the American M16 service rifle.[1]
The XM8's origins can be traced back to the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) program. The OICW program was created in the aftermath of an earlier experimental weapons testing initiative, the Advanced Combat Rifle (ACR) program. The stated aim of both the ACR and OICW projects was to find/create a weapon that was cheaper, lighter, more accurate, and more effective than the M16 rifle and M4 carbine. The hope was that such a weapon would then replace the M16 as the standard issue rifle of the United States Armed Forces.[2] One of the solutions that was devised to make the proposed weapon "more effective" was to incorporate a grenade launcher or other similar device into the design. The weapon that emerged from the OICW program was known as the XM29: a prototype weapons system that consisted of a semi-automatic 20×28mm smart grenade launcher and an underslung assault carbine derived from the HK G36. Numerous issues with the XM29 prototypes, including weight, bulk, alleged lack of effectiveness of the 20×28 mm airburst round, and the small issue of the 20mm smart grenades being close enough to exploding bullets to potentially be considered a war crime under the Geneva Conventions, led to the cancellation of the project.[3]
In order to try and salvage anything from the XM29 after the weapon's cancellation in 2004, the two major component parts of the XM29 would be separated, and a new set of programs were initiated. One program set out to develop the underslung carbine into a proper rifle system, while the other program focused on improving and iterating on the airburst grenade launcher as a standalone component. The XM8 was developed was a result of the first program, with the XM25 smart grenade launcher being created from the other.
The XM8 is classified as a selective fire, gas-operated rifle utilizing a short-stroke gas piston system. It chambers the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge, and feeding of rounds can be done from either 30-round G36 magazines or 100-round Beta-C drum magazines. After some modifications to the magazine housing, the XM8 could also accept M16/STANAG magazines. The XM8 is mechanically very similar to the HK G36 rifle it was originally derived from. Also like the G36, the body of the weapon is constructed primarily using fiber-reinforced plastics. However, modifications to the aesthetics of the rifle were made at the request of Army officials, who asked that the gun be made to look 'more Starship Troopers-like', whatever that means. A new 40mm grenade launcher was created for the XM8 derived from the G36's AG36 launcher, under the new designation XM320. Unlike the break-action M203 grenade launcher, the XM320's grenade tube swings out laterally for loading. On top of that, the XM320 could be operated as a standalone grenadier unit when not attached on the rifle. It was designed to fit on the new PCAP (Picatinny Combat Attachment Points) system the XM8 employed, however this meant that the standard MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail-based accessories weren't reverse compatible with the XM8 without adapters.[4]
The first 30 XM8 prototypes were delivered by November 2003 for preliminary testing. Later, at least 200 developmental prototypes were procured. There were a couple of complaints with the design noted at this time. Among the complaints during testing was that the battery life was too low for the weapon's powered sight system, as well as some ergonomic issues. Two other key issues that came up during testing were the weapon's weight and the heat resistance of the hand guard, which would apparently start to melt after firing too many rounds in short succession. Some of these issues would be ironed out with further development, although the weapon's weight was always a point of some complaint, despite being relatively close to the weight requirements put out by the US Army.
Despite high hopes that the XM8 could become the new standard infantry service rifle for the US military, the project was canceled in 2005. The XM8 rifle would fall out of favor with the US military, and only the XM320 grenade launcher entered full time service under the designation M320. H&K advertised the XM8 on the global market, and the Royal Malaysian Navy would eventually purchase the XM8 in 2010, along with other H&K assault rifles products like the HK416 and G36. After several modifications, the rifle entered service with the Royal Malaysian Navy's Naval Special Warfare Forces (PASKAL) later that year.
Don't be overly confident in your good temper, as this kid will easily push your tolerance to the very limit. She often says extremely embarrassing things to others without a second thought - not out of malice, mind you. Rather, she just likes saying whatever comes to mind. Although she's an excellent chess player who can easily outplay other T-Dolls, she still prefers to bully the Commander time and again. Well, please treat it as her showing her affection. [5]
