IMAGE CAPTION: A mechanized process attaches ammunition parts at the True Velocity manufacturing center in Garland on April 15. The company is pairing up with two other firearms makers to bid on a next-generation weapon for soldiers that is designed to be about 30% lighter than older guns.(Lynda M. González / Staff Photographer)
A Garland ammunition manufacturer is on the shortlist for part of a multibillion-dollar U.S. Army contract that could make its next-gen bullets a staple among soldiers and consumers alike.
True Velocity, which makes lightweight bullets with polymer casing instead of brass, paired up with sister company Lonestar Future Weapons and defense contractor General Dynamics to bid on the massive Next Generation Squad Weapons contract that would replace the standard automatic assault weapons that Army soldiers use in combat.
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The Army is looking for a lighter and more reliable weapon to replace the standard M249 Saw automatic weapon used in every major military conflict since the U.S. invaded Panama in 1989. Defense contractors are pitching a variety of new bullet and automatic rifle designs to decrease the weight of both the guns and ammunition.
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