The Loadout Blog

News|Industry News

By Drew Bryant
May 24th, 2022, theloadoutblog.com

The United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is set to award SIG SAUER with its Personal Defense Weapon Contract. The newly awarded contract would see SIG providing commerical, off-the-shelf, personal defense weapon. A notice of intent by SOCOM to award a five-year fix contract was shared last Thursday, May 19th. The weapon that SOCOM is procuring from SIG is the SIG MCX Rattler. The Rattler will be chambered in 5.56 NATO and .300 BLK. The contract will also feature SIG’s SL suppressors to go along with the MCX Rattler.

Below, is the notice of intent from SOCOM on procuring the SIG MCX Rattler.

Notice Of Intent

The Government hereby submits a notice of intent to award the Commercial Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) contract to Sig Sauer. This IDIQ will provide complete PDW weapons (Sig Rattlers – 5.56mm and .300 Blackout caliber) that includes suppressors (SL series), cleaning kits, magazines, quick barrel change kits and force on force training kits. Furthermore, parts, sustainment, and New Equipment Training will also be part of this IDIQ. The PDW system will allow Operators to have maximum firepower in a concealable weapon.

This IDIQ will be a five-year Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract. After years of continuous market research, USSOCOM HQ has concluded that Sig Sauer is the only vendor that can fulfill USSOCOM’s need for the Commercial PDW requirement. USSOCOM HQ has been researching and reviewing different systems since 2017. We have meticulously reviewed each system for technical acceptance and whether it fits the commercial definition. Except for Sig Sauer, the vendors did not meet the technical requirements and/or the weapons do not meet the commercial definition. Due to the nature of this particular effort, USSOCOM cannot procure PDWs that are prototypes, under development, not in production, are in limited production or will be in general production in 1-2 years from now (assuming the PDW is not in production or is in limited production).

In addition, due to the programmatic requirements of this effort, we can only award to the Original Equipment Manufacture (OEM); in this case its Sig Sauer. The OEM (Sig Sauer) must provide New Equipment Training (for both Operators and Engineers/Technicians), Parts Replacement Schedule, sustainment etc… Sig Sauer is the only vendor who can fulfill the programmatic requirements because they are the sole owner the Intellectual Property (IP) and the technical data package of the Sig Sauer Rattler system.

SIG has been on a roll winning military contracts left and right. What do you think of SIG’s newest contract? Let us know in the comments below.

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