FN America’s Futuristic MTL-30 Grenade Launcher Moves Forward With New Army Contract

FN America is one of several companies that have been vying to supply the Army's future Precision Grenadier System.

by Joseph Trevithick
Published Oct 2, 2025 12:55 PM EDT

The U.S. Army has handed the American division of the Belgian gunmaker Fabrique Nationale (FN) a contract for further development of its semi-automatic Multi-Purpose Tactical Launcher-30mm (MTL-30). This comes as the service is still pushing to acquire a new Precision Grenadier System (PGS) that will give soldiers a new way to engage a wide range of targets, including lightly armored vehicles, enemy personnel behind cover, and drones in the sky.

FN America announced yesterday that it had secured what it called a Prototype Project Opportunity Notice (PPON) contract, valued at $2 million, for work on the MTL-30. The Army first put out the PPON in relation to the PGS effort in February. The service described it as a call for prototypes to support a “risk reduction effort separate from the Precision Grenadier Program of Record with the goal of developing technologies associated with the current capability gap...”

Complete article with many photos:

https://www.twz.com/land/fn-am...th-new-army-contract

Why does every new weapon/rifle look so over-engineered now? They all have this certain look to them that screams "overdone" to me.

Because they want to make it look cool and futuristic and shiny, I agree with you completely but sadly they think that helps sell stuff

That's not new.

Remember all the soft corners and swoopy lines of the various "cool futuristic" rifle designs in the 1970s through 2000s?

See XM8, F2000, Aug, Calico, etc.

Same overengineered/artsy approach. The aesthetic has just changed lately to hard angles and decorative cutouts.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

decorative cutouts.

Which is SO STUPID for a military weapon. All those things will do is collect muck and dust and mud and the Joes will be cursing the designer out at every chance they get.

?
Are we referring to what appear to be M-LOK slots for the attachment of accessories? Or something else by “over-engineered”?

30mm? What do we do with our stockpile of 40mm's?

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
?
Are we referring to what appear to be M-LOK slots for the attachment of accessories?

On the MTL-30 all I see are MLOK slots.

But take a look at stuff like the M250 or M7. In addition to MLOK slots, they're covered in angular decorative/lightening cutouts.

Same with things like fancy Zev Glock slides and the like.

Designed to look ultra-modern/futuristic.

quote:

Originally posted by Delta-3:
30mm? What do we do with our stockpile of 40mm's?

Still in use with current launchers.

But the next-gen Precision Grenadier System program is wanting to use a newer type of high velocity 30x42mm grenade.

They've been trying to transition to a smaller round than the legacy 40mm since at least the 1990s, first with the 20mm XM29 OICW in the 90s and later with the 25mm XM25 in the 2000s and 2010s.

Okay; misunderstood. I was just looking at this new launcher.

So…when is the smoothbore non-DD version coming out for us peasants? A mag full of various colored smoke rounds would be nice, or alternating colored and starburst flares…dreams!

quote:

Originally posted by Creeping_Death:
So…when is the smoothbore non-DD version coming out for us peasants? A mag full of various colored smoke rounds would be nice, or alternating colored and starburst flares…dreams!

It would make for a great gender reveal announcement.

Here's another contender, this one is 25mm:

New Northrop-Colt 25mm Grenade Launcher Builds On Lessons From Failed XM25 “Punisher”

The U.S. Army canceled the futuristic XM25 grenade launcher program in 2018, citing weight and cost factors.

by Joseph Trevithick
Published Oct 7, 2025 5:47 PM ED

Northrop Grumman says past work on the abortive 25mm XM25 grenade launcher, nicknamed “The Punisher,” served as an “initial baseline” for a new design it is now working on with Colt. The Northrop Grumman-Colt launcher is being developed primarily to meet the U.S. Army’s requirements for a future Precision Grenadier System (PGS), a program that emerged after the XM25 was canceled.

Rylan Harris, Director of Strategy and Business Development for Northrop Grumman’s Armament Systems business unit, provided an update on the company’s work related to PGS during a press briefing today. TWZ, as well as other outlets, were in attendance. Currently, the new grenade launcher from Northrop Grumman and Colt is an 11-and-a-half-pound semi-automatic design that feeds from five-round box magazines and looks like an oversized rifle...

Complete article with photos:

https://www.twz.com/land/new-n...failed-xm25-punisher

I never used one for its intended purpose, but I did have experience with the 40mm M79 grenade launcher and thought it was a great weapon. But the projectile traveled so slowly that it could be followed in flight and the trajectory was so curved that good range estimation was important for accuracy. Anything that performs as well while traveling flatter and faster would be an improvement.

On a semi-related note, FN is delivering some new small arms for testing, although with the XM7/XM250 I'm not sure what the point is. Still, it's interesting that they've been assigned NSN's.:

https://fnamerica.com/press-re...support-directorate/

quote:

Originally posted by Dawes:
On a semi-related note, FN is delivering some new small arms for testing...

https://fnamerica.com/press-re...support-directorate/

This is also about the FN weapons, but with more details. All these new systems and calibers have my head spinning.

FN America Delivers Guns Chambered In 6.5mm LICC For U.S. Military Testing
Canada is also deeply tied to work on the new guns, which aim to offer improvements in range, accuracy, and lethality.

by Joseph Trevithick
Updated Oct 8, 2025 6:05 PM EDT

The American subsidiary of Belgian gunmaker Fabrique Nationale (FN) has delivered new prototype rifles and machine guns chambered to fire the 6.5x43mm Lightweight Intermediate Caliber Cartridge (LICC) to the U.S. military. LICC is one of several avenues the U.S. military has pursued in the past decade to find new small arms that offer greater range and terminal effectiveness, particularly over existing types firing the 5.56x45mm round. Though a U.S.-led effort, Canada has also been deeply involved in LICC...

Complete article:

https://www.twz.com/land/fn-am...u-s-military-testing

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:
Here's another contender, this one is 25mm:

New Northrop-Colt 25mm Grenade Launcher Builds On Lessons From Failed XM25 “Punisher”

Complete article with photos:

https://www.twz.com/land/new-n...failed-xm25-punisher

If NGC is involved, it’ll take them a year to decide if the round should be 35mm or 40mm and then another six months as they investigate if meeting in the middle (37.5mm) is the best of both worlds all the while, the barrel design team is already approved drawings for a 45mm round.

BTDT with ngc