Indian private sector small arms maker SSS Defence plans to enter the machine gun market with firearms chambered to fire the 5.56 and .338 Norma Magnum ( 8.6 x 70 mm) rounds. The Bengaluru-based company has ventured so far only into sub-machine guns, assault rifles and sniper rifles. Speaking to Chakra News at the International Police Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, between June 24-25, SSS CEO Vivek Krishnan said both products will be rolled out by 2028. 

“Our machine guns will be first in 5.56 mm, and in one to one and a half years, we plan to come out with the 338 Norma machine gun.” 

SSS Defence’s first LMG was the M-72  (Manohar-72) SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) fitted with a twin 5.56 x 45 mm 50-round drum magazine. The M-72 rifle is also participating in the British Army’s Project Grayburn, which is meant to replace the 1987-vintage SA-80 rifle.  

SSS Defence displayed three new products— the T-12 shotgun, which will be supplied to the Indian Army’s Northern Command, the .300 Blackout sniper rifle known as the Tyto and the VARAHA counter-drone system.

The Tyto (named for a  barn owl) is a squad weapon with the stopping power of the 300 blackout round. It has a folding buttstock. The baffled-type suppressor and bipod are removable, and backpack-able.    The weapon is basically just a folded section which comes and stops here, where the barrel stops. It has been made for SWAT teams, counter-terror operators, special forces units. The 300 blackout has phenomenal stopping power, and can use both subsonic and supersonic ammunition. 

“You can't always use a standard 5.56 or a 7.62 x 51 mm assault rifle to respond to a burglary or a hostage situation. For that particular range, carrying a 338 is going to be a cumbersome thing for you. So what you try to do in this particular instance is you want to have a quiet weapon, can be easily carried, a squad weapon, very accurate for up to 300 metres,” Krishnan said. 

The .338 Norma Magnum machine gun is sought by the US  Army, which wants a machine gun that bridges the gap between the M240 7.62 x 51 mm machine gun and the M2 Browning .50-calibre machine guns. 

Vivek Krishnan believes there's no replacement for the 50 BMG round, but at least three firms, including SSS Defence are working on a .338-Norma based machine gun, a crew-served weapon which could also function as an anti-personnel weapon with ranges of up to 1000 metres. “So, you don't need to carry a very heavy weapon and very heavy ammunition rounds. The Norma is a very powerful round. It does a brilliant job and its an unforgiving kind of round.”

The other three companies are US-based, which are Sig Sauer with its MG-338, True Velocity with its RM-338  and Ohio Ordnance with its  (Recoil Enhanced Automatic Precision Rifle) or REAPR. Along with this, the machine gun should be dual calibre. It means along with.338 Norma Magnum, the US Army also wants the machine to fire the 6.8 x 51 mm round.

Vivek Krishnan revealed that his company has developed a modular Multi-Calibre Individual Weapon, a short stroke piston platform that accepts 7.62x39, 5.56 and 7.62x51. This modular platform will be different from the existing M-72.

He highlighted the change in the use of small arms. The US decided at some point in time to go with the XM-7. But now it doesn't look like the Special Forces or the Marines will be going with the XM-7. They are going back to the 5.56, but with more powerful ammunition.  The US SOCOM calls it the (Hypervelocity Improved Carbine) HICAR program. On 18 May 2026, it released the requirement under which it seeks a new M4 upper receiver capable of firing emerging hyper velocity ammunition modelled after the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge. It wants the new upper designed to fire hypervelocity ammunition known as M855A1+. The  M855A1 cartridge fired from the M4 rifle has an effective range of approximately 300 meters. The SOCOM wants the ability to provide effective fire on targets with their primary 5.56mm carbine out to 600 meters and beyond. 

Arjun Dev Singh

Arjun Dev Singh has a deep interest in defence, security, and strategic affairs. With a strong analytical lens and a passion for military and geopolitical developments, Arjun strives to bring clarity and context to complex national and international issues.