Vortex Selected To Produce Army NGSW Fire Control Optic

by
posted on February 8, 2022
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Vortex Optics

Family-owned Vortex Optics, which is based in Wisconsin, has been selected by the U.S. Army to produce and deliver up to a quarter million Next Generation Squad Weapons–Fire Control (NGSW-FC) systems over a 10-year production period. Contract terms begin this year with a minimum value of $20 million and maximum of $2.7 billion.

The Vortex Optics NGSW-FC, dubbed the XM157, was designed and built with the needs of the current and future warfighter in mind. Designed, invented and engineered entirely in house at the company’s headquarters, the Low Powered Variable Optic (LPVO) features a display overlay, laser rangefinder, ballistic solver, environmental sensors, aiming lasers, digital compass and wireless communication to provide for seamless connectivity on the battlefield.

The XM157 is built around a 1-8x30 mm LPVO with a glass-etched reticle on lenses made entirely in the United States. The fire control weighs less than many traditional LPVOs with current weapon-mounted laser rangefinders and mounts. The system allows our troops to engage threats quickly and effectively.

With an integrated Picatinny base that houses the Vortex Active Reticle system, the XM157 injects a digitally displayed image into the first focal plane of the optic and allows for intuitive displays to support ballistic drops, reticle shapes and sizes, and additional modes to display way points, identified threats and fields of fire. To account for a rapidly evolving battlefield and a broad range of climates and weather conditions, the optic withstood rigorous drop-testing, extreme hot and cold environments, immersion testing and tens of thousands of rounds of live-fire testing.

The combined technology enables the unit to range a target, send the information to an on-board ballistic solver, gather atmospheric information, and display an illuminated Active Reticle with the corrected aimpoint with wind holds in the sight picture. The solution takes tenths of a second and, despite the advanced technology, ease of use was a critical design feature. To provide flexibility in the field the XM157 can be controlled via an on-board keypad or a detachable remote.

Latest

Taurus GX2
Taurus GX2

Review: Taurus GX2

From cars to cellphones, as a product gets more sophisticated, it usually also gets more expensive. And, as modern handguns get more modular and optic-ready, their prices tend to go up.

Rifleman Q&A: A Garand Puzzlement

"We are a father-and-son NRA member tandem in search of an answer regarding the branding of an M1 Garand rifle. We own an M1 rifle that has markings indicating it was a “lend lease to England,” and it also has a .308 barrel/sleeve."

$160K Raised For HAVA At SIG Sauer Event

SIG Sauer hosted its 9th Annual Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) Charity Golf event early last month and raised more than $160,000 to support disabled veterans.

Scout The Trail To A General Purpose Rifle

The search for a universal longarm—one suitable for both hunting and defensive scenarios—is a trek that involves a bit of doubling back.

Trijicon Releases Green-Dot RMR

For the first time, the Trijicon RMR will now be available with a green aiming dot, providing some benefits to shooters with astigmatism and red-green color blindness.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 15, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.