'Next Gen' 6.8mm Ammunition Delivered to US Army by True Velocity

The clock continues to tick on conventional brass-case ammunition with True Velocity of Garland, Texas recently delivering over 170,000 rounds of their composite-cased 6.8mm TVCM cartridge to the US Army. Part of the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program, the new 6.8mm TVCM cartridge is intended to provide enhanced exterior ballistics, improved penetration while at the same time noticeably reducing weight. No relation to Remington’s conventional and now defunct 6.8x43mm Special Purpose Cartridge (SPC), the 6.8 TVCM is a very different animal bearing only projectile diameter in common with the 6.8x43mm SPC.

If you haven’t been keeping up with the latest Army programs, the NGSW program is designed to provide the U.S. Army’s Close Combat Force with an enhanced 6.8mm cartridge replacement for the currently fielded 5.56x45mm round. It is also intended to be part of replacing the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon and the M4A1 with next-generation weapons. The development of the 6.8mm TVCM shows a change in the US Army’s focus back to fighting a near peer adversary, such as China. The 6.8mm TVCM will provide soldiers with an enhanced capability of defeating modern body armor hard-plates. Body armor capable of defeating conventional 5.56x45mm ammunition is becoming wide-spread, so the US Army needs an effective counter to it. The 6.8mm TVCM is one possible solution.

True Velocity President Chris Tedford stated, “Our 6.8 TVCM composite-cased cartridge is capable of unprecedented ballistic performance, while simultaneously exceeding the Army’s expectations in terms of weight reduction. True Velocity’s ammunition – and particularly our 6.8 TVCM cartridge – are changing the paradigm. It turns out you don’t have to operate at unsafe chamber pressures in order to generate increased velocity, enhanced terminal performance and improved accuracy. Our cartridge achieves all of these things, while maintaining safe operating pressures and drastically reducing the overall cartridge weight.”

True Velocity’s proprietary composite 6.8mm case design is intended to provide end-users with significant logistical and operational advantages over metal-hybrid cases and traditional brass cases. These are claimed to include increased effective range and muzzle energy, drastic reduction in cartridge weight and enhanced accuracy, regardless of weapon platform.

The two most significant attributes of the 6.8 TVCM cartridge are its enhanced exterior ballistics and lighter weight. The high muzzle velocity combined with the right projectile design is intended to provide over-match to commonly fielded body armor. The lighter weight will allow the individual soldier to carry more ammunition, and allow more ammunition to be transported to the battlefield for the same weight.

“As a team, True Velocity is excited and proud to have delivered this significant order of next-generation ammunition to the Army in-full and on-time,” said Tedford. “The U.S. Army down-selected True Velocity’s composite-cased ammunition in August 2019 for the NGSW modernization program. True Velocity submitted its 6.8mm composite-cased cartridge as part of an overall NGSW weapon system in partnership with General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems and firearm manufacturer Beretta.”

For more information, visit www.tvammo.com.