U.S. Army Pfc. Bryan Lamas, of the 25th Infantry Division, aims an M250 machine gun while training in Aparri, Philippines, May 1, 2025. (Malia Sparks/U.S. Marine Corps)
The U.S. Army’s newest automatic weapon is getting a workout alongside Filipino forces in the Philippines, according to the 25th Infantry Division.
Photographs released by the Defense Department last month show members of the division using the M250 machine gun, designed to replace the long-serving M249 squad automatic weapon, during Balikatan. The island-defense exercise involved 9,000 American and 5,000 Filipino troops between April 21 and May 9.
The M250 will also be used by members from the division’s 2nd Mobile Brigade during training in the islands between May 30 and June 6, the brigade’s commander, Col. David Lamborn, said in comments emailed Monday by 25th ID spokeswoman Stacey Lasay.
The training is part of the Army’s Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center expansion in the Philippines – the second time the mobile center has deployed to the country. It involves moving troops and equipment across more than 250 miles by land, air and sea, division commander Maj. Gen. Marcus Evans said in a May 9 phone interview.
Soldiers will use the M250 instead of the M249 during the rotation, Lamborn said.
“The XM250 comes equipped with the XM157 Fire Control System, a variable magnification scope with an integrated laser range finder and ballistic computer,” he said, referring to the weapon by its former X or “experimental” designation. “Together, these systems provide greater range, greater accuracy, and greater lethality, giving our Infantry Squads a decisive advantage over our adversaries.”
The M250, along with the new M7 rifle, was evaluated in March during a live-fire event at Fort Campbell, Ky., according to an April 11 news release from the 101st Airborne Division. The weapon was developed by New Hampshire-based defense contractor SIG Sauer and are now part of the Army’s standard inventory.
Designed to replace the M4 and M249, the new weapons offers greater stopping power, extended range, and advanced optics that are expected to reshape small-unit tactics, the Army said.
The M250 offers greater control and concealment than the older system, according to Capt. Evan Myers of 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment.
“The 250 has semi, which makes it easier to control a single shot or two rounds instead of doing 6-8 rounds,” he said in the release. “The suppressor reduces the muzzle flash, which is a huge advantage for maintaining concealment in low-light engagements.”
The M250 fires a specialized round not compatible with standard NATO ammunition and may not be ideal in a conflict with China where fire volume may be more important than power, said Australia-based defense researcher Allan Orr.
The U.S. Army could be outnumbered four to one in a conflict with China, he told Stars and Stripes by phone Tuesday.
The M250 won’t add fire volume over the M249 but it has considerably more power, Orr added.
“It will push through things like jungle and urban terrain a lot easier,” he said.
