Barrett's new SRSS grenade launcher could change how U.S. soldiers fight in future wars at AUSA 2025.

Barrett Firearms and MARS Inc. presented the Squad Support Rifle System (SSRS) at AUSA 2025, a 30×42 mm semi-automatic, magazine-fed precision grenadier weapon developed under the U.S. Army’s Precision Grenadier System (PGS) program.

At the AUSA 2025 exposition, Barrett Firearms and MARS Inc. presented their Squad Support Rifle System (SRSS), a shoulder-fired 30 mm grenade launcher selected under the US Army’s xTech Soldier Lethality competition. Matured following the Precision Grenadier System (PGS) requirements, the SRSS combines a recoil-operated, semi-automatic weapon with integrated fire control and programmable munitions designed to extend squad-level precision fire, defeat targets in cover, and engage low-altitude drones with selectable airburst and proximity effects, well beyond traditional 40 mm grenade launchers.
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The Squad Support Rifle System (SSRS) is a recoil-operated, self-loading, shoulder-fired grenade launcher chambered for a 30×42 mm cartridge developed for the PGS program, and feeding from five-round detachable box magazines. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The Squad Support Rifle System (SSRS) is a rather unique 30 mm weapon matured under the U.S. Army’s Precision Grenadier System (PGS) requirement and the xTech Soldier Lethality competition. The Barrett–MARS team was declared as one of the two competition winners in May 2025 (with the FN MTL-30) and received development funding to advance a soldier-portable, shoulder-fired, semi-automatic, magazine-fed integrated armament package that combines weapon, ammunition, and fire control. The prototype and associated technical package were displayed publicly as the team progresses toward the Army’s planned prototype and solicitation activities in fiscal year 2026. The program emphasis is on extending squad-level engagement ranges, defeating targets in defilade, and engaging low-altitude unmanned aerial systems.

The Squad Support Rifle System (SSRS) is a recoil-operated, self-loading, shoulder-fired grenade launcher chambered for a 30×42 mm cartridge developed for the PGS program, and feeding from five-round detachable box magazines. According to available information, the current prototype has an overall length of 861 mm and a barrel length of 305 mm, with a reported mass of about 6.3 kg, including the integrated fire-control package. The action and ergonomics incorporate ambidextrous controls, a non-reciprocating charging handle, a fully adjustable buttstock, and the ability to be disassembled at the operator level without tools. The SRSS prototype has a barrel length of 305 mm and a rifling twist of 1:610 mm (one full rifling turn every 610 mm, which stabilizes the projectile in flight and improves accuracy), and its reported muzzle velocity averages roughly 203 m/s, which the developers say produces a flatter trajectory than legacy 40×46 mm low-velocity grenades and reduces time of flight to targets at medium ranges. The team highlights that the SSRS geometry and ballistics are intended to allow direct engagement profiles rather than high-arching trajectories.

The system’s fire-control component is a core element of the SSRS, presented as the Direct Fire Control Precision Targeting unit developed by Precision Targeting LLC, with some configurations using optics comparable to the XM157 family. The fire-control package integrates a laser rangefinder, an integrated ballistic solver, environmental sensing or a weather station, and a disturbed reticle intended to improve first-round hit probability and support fuse programming. That electronics package is designed to set programmable airburst fuzes, to calculate point-detonation or proximity modes, and to provide automated aiming cues that reduce operator calculation burden in complex conditions. The integrated fire control also supports mission options such as pre-programming of fuze function before launch and providing the data path required for the ammunition family to enact airburst and proximity effects reliably. The same fire-control logic is intended to support vehicle mounting on remote weapon stations for non-dismounted employment.

Ammunition development for the system has been led by AMTEC Corp and is described as a family of 30 mm projectiles that covers multiple tactical effects required by the PGS concept. The ammunition mix seems to include programmable airburst high-explosive rounds, proximity-fuzed and point-detonating high-explosive rounds, a Close Quarter Battle round for short-range antipersonnel use, counter-drone rounds tailored to defeat small UAS, and practice or inert training rounds. The program partners emphasize that the integrated fire-control unit programs the fuzes prior to firing so that airburst and proximity functions can be used effectively against targets behind cover and against aerial threats at close ranges. That combination of selectable munition effects, a flatter 30 mm trajectory, and reduced time of flight is presented as the principal enablers for counter-defilade and counter-UAS roles at the squad level. The partnered design effort, therefore, couples specific munition effects with the weapon and fire-control architecture.

The development pathway for the SSRS reflects the xTech competition model of pairing established manufacturers with smaller innovators to accelerate capability maturation, and Barrett’s role is described as providing weapons integration and production expertise, while MARS contributed recoil-mitigation concepts and rapid prototyping design work. The xTech competition timeline published in the program material began with concept white papers in mid-2023, progressed through technology pitches and virtual evaluations, and culminated in a final demonstration phase where a single winner could receive follow-on funding of up to $2 million. The Barrett–MARS submission is reported to have been designed, built, and tested within roughly eleven months after selection for late-stage demonstration, and subsequent public displays included exhibitions outside the United States where the prototype and fire-control demonstrations were judged suitable for broader industry and international observation. The partners also note efforts to ensure the system can be integrated into existing soldier systems and logistics frameworks during later prototype phases.

The US Army's Precision Grenadier System (PGS) will replace or supplement current squad-level grenade launchers such as the M203 and M320 with a magazine-fed semi-automatic weapon with extended effective range, integrated targeting, and programmable munitions, either the SRSS or the MTL-30. Current 40×46 mm low-velocity systems are generally limited to effective engagement envelopes below 400 meters and rely on arcing trajectories for indirect effects, whereas the SSRS is positioned to provide precision direct-fire engagements to 500 meters and beyond with selectable airburst, proximity, and point-detonation modes. The SSRS is not positioned to replace crew-served automatic grenade launchers but rather to occupy a different niche by remaining man-portable and operable by a single soldier while delivering a range of munition effects previously available only from heavier systems or indirect fires. If adopted, the Army and allied forces would need to address logistical implications such as establishing supply chains for a new 30 mm family of ammunition and integrating training and maintenance for the combined weapon and fire-control system.

It is worth remembering that a grenade launcher is a firearm designed to project large-caliber projectiles carrying explosive or specialised payloads to ranges and with terminal effects beyond small arms, and modern infantry practice has included underbarrel, standalone shoulder-fired, and crew-served automatic launchers. Calibres historically used by Western forces include 40 mm for many systems, while newer precision concepts increasingly explore medium-velocity calibres such as 30 mm to obtain faster time of flight and flatter trajectories. Semi-automatic grenade launchers automate the extraction and chambering cycle by using gas or recoil energy to cycle the action, extract spent cases, and feed the next round from a magazine, permitting higher sustained fire rates and faster follow-on shots than single-shot designs. Modern semi-automatic designs also incorporate modular rails and sighting interfaces to accept optical aiming devices, laser rangefinders, or ballistic computers and can integrate fire-control packages that program airburst fuzes for counter-defilade engagements, as demonstrated by the Squad Support Rifle System (SSRS) prototype.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.