Tennessee-based Barrett teamed up with Mars, Inc., and brought a radical new 30mm grenade launcher over the finish line in an Army competition. 

It is planned that the new gun will eventually be fielded as part of the Army’s Precision Grenadier System program. The PGS requirement is for a soldier-portable, shoulder-fired, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, integrated system that can engage targets in defilade-- such as behind a hill-- as well as aerial drones at close range via programable ammunition. Ultimately, this allows the user faster fire than a 40mm, and with more power and round capabilities than the 25mm.

First launched in 2023 as part of a xTechSoldier Lethality contest designed to rapidly fill the requirement, the PGS competition soon boiled down to two platforms: FN's PGS-001 and the Barrett-Mars 30mm Support Rifle System, and, with the SRS announced last week as the winner. 

"For decades, Barrett has changed the battlefield with revolutionary systems like the shoulder-fired semi-automatic .50 caliber Model 82 and its modern variants, as well as the MRAD MK 22 — the world’s most accurate multi-caliber sniper rifle," said Bryan James, Barrett CEO. "These weapon systems are now supporting the U.S. and more than 80 allied nations around the world. With our focus now on the U.S. Army’s PGS initiative, we are committed to delivering another game-changing advantage: a system with Programmable Air Bursting counter-defilade and Counter-UAS capabilities designed to keep our troops safe and ensure mission success."

The ammo used by the PGS will include Programmable Air Bursting High Explosive (HE), Proximity Fuzed, and Point Detonating HE, as well as a Close Quarter Battle Round. (Photo: Guns.com)

We visited with Barrett and Mars at SHOT earlier this year and got the scoop on the big honking 30mm bloop gun. For more, check out our video below.