| The OICW has been advanced into a whole comprehensive program now and not just the weapon.
The system of weapons has become so complicated that they have decided to implimament them in 3 phases adding more features and weapons in each phase on top of already functioning equipment from previous phases.
The XM-29, which many refer to as the "OICW" weapon is in a state of limbo as the developers grapple with how best to move forward with the system. Under 2004 research the rifle portion of the XM-29 was to be seperately developed as the XM-8 project and the computerized air-busting weapon was to be developed at the XM-25. However, recently there have been rumblings to make the XM-8 and the XM-29 weapon systems different entities altogether. This will likely continue to change and adapt as R&D breakthroughs are made.
OICW phase 1 is concerned with replacing the current generation of M-16s, SAWs, etc. with another weapon system (assumedly the XM-8 or something like it).
OICW phases 2 and 3 are still ambiguous but concern themselves with the higher technologies in the OICW program such as the XM-25 airbursting weapon, electronic sight technologies, newer ammunitions, landwarrior implementations etc.
So the trust of the research now is to get some of the developments in the hands of soldiers now and then add on new features as they come on-line instead of waiting for the whole package to be done first. |