Personal Security Detail Units Seek Concealable Weapon

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Personal Security Detail (PSD) military personnel in the US Army utilize pistols and rifles; however, there is a current operational need for additional concealability and lethality. U.S. Army weapons officials plan to purchase subcompact weapons from 10 different gun makers for testing in an effort to better arm personal security detail units.

The Army will spend $428,480 to award sole-source contracts to Beretta USA, Colt Manufacturing Company, CMMG Inc., CZ-USA, Sig Sauer and five other small-arms makers for highly concealable subcompact weapon systems “capable of engaging threat personnel with a high volume of lethal and accurate fires at close range with minimal collateral damage,” according to their notice.

The notice states that “failure to provide the selected SCW for assessment and evaluation will leave PSD military personnel with a capability gap which can result in increased warfighter casualties and jeopardize the success of the U.S. mission.”

The weapons will be used in an evaluation to “inform current capabilities for the Capability Production Document for the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence,” the notice states.

“The acquisition of the SCW is essential in meeting the agency’s requirement to support Product Manager, Individual Weapons mission to assess commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) SCWs in order to fill a capability gap in lethality and concealability.”

Among the sole-source contracts for the subcompact weapons are: Beretta USA Corp. for PMX subcompact weapon, Colt’s CM9MM-9H-M5A, Colt’s Modular 9mm subcompact weapon, and more.

Some of the weapons, such as the Colt, CMMG, LMT, and Quarter Circle offerings are likely based on so-called short barrel AR15 “pistols” using the AR15/M16/M4 operating system. Their similarity to the M4 carbine in function could give them a leg up on the competition. Other guns are based on the famous Heckler and Koch MP-5 submachine gun, while still others such as the Sig Sauer MPX, CZ Scorpion, and MP9 are unique designs.

The U.S. Army has not fielded a new submachine gun since World War II, according to popularmechanics.com.