The XM29 SABR or OICW was an attempt to produce a next-generation hybrid firearm which would combine a "smart" airbursting grenade launcher with a 5.56mm rifle. The project began in the 90s and ran until 2004 when it was cancelled due to failure to meet weight goals; during that time a bewildering array of prototypes and mock-ups were produced, of which the first image below is the most widely recognised. Following cancellation, the program was split into three 'increments;' the first being the development of a new family of lightweight kinetic energy weapons, the second the development of a standalone grenade launcher using the technology that would have been used in the original OICW, and the third the re-integration of the two into a single device.
During the course of the project the 20mm HE module was changed to 25mm due to concerns over the performance of the 20mm projectiles; after the cancellation of the main project, this became the 'increment two' XM25 program; this weapon is currently being test-deployed with US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Heckler & Koch XM8 was developed in an attempt to meet the requirements of OICW increment one, but this was later cancelled; it is not presently clear if the LSAT program that replaced it is intended to become OICW increment one.
The Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) can be seen in the following films and video games used by the following actors:
