And on the subject of new service rifles ...
Leave it to the US Marines to be creative. It seems they're testing the concept of arming grunts with the M27 as a replacement for the M4.
https://kitup.military.com/2017/02/m...ice-rifle.html
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2...ice-rifle.html
http://www.popularmechanics.com/mili...lace-m4-rifle/
That's right, everyone gets what's currently acting as the SAW in the USMC.
And, just to continue the trend ... a replacement for the venerable Ma Duce?
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone...ge-machine-gun
From the sounds of this they might go as far as replacing the M240 MMG as well. A lightweight HMG at the company/platoon level???