Arma 3
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NIArms XM8 Rifles
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Data Type: Mod
Mod Type: Animation, Sound, Weapon
File Size
Posted
Updated
434.390 MB
Sep 5, 2021 @ 10:15am
Mar 7 @ 4:15am
4 Change Notes ( view )

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NIArms XM8 Rifles

Description

Models,textures,configs,scriptwork,animations: Toadie2k
Commissioned: BlueNexa
Ballistics: Spartan0536
Sound: Navaro, LordJarhead

This weapon set was made possible by the generosity of the people who're backing this through Patreon.
If you'd like to see more of this stuff ,why not pitch in a couple of bucks? Through Patreon [www.patreon.com] If you can't or don't want to, no hard feelings.


About-
============

This is the XM8 Infantry Weapons System - A system of weapons designed to replace the M4, M16 and M249, and the true beginning of the end to the Future Warrior OICW program it spawned from.

All weapons in the system fire 5.56mm NATO from a closed bolt and operate via an AR-18-derived Short-stroke Gas Piston much akin to the G36. In fact G36 Similarities do not end there, but we're getting ahead of things.
Mentioned previously, the XM8 came as an outgrowth of the OICW program. The project being marred by considerable and frequent delays, the DoD and H&K came to a decision to take the Kinetic (Bullet-firing) portion and see what they could do about making a next-gen complementary infantry system. The base that was picked was G36C/G36Ks and spun off from there (the initial prototyping was handed back to H&K with the feedback to "make it more Starship Troopers'').

To make good on the feedback,H&K called in concept artists from Audi's Udelhoven design studio,and with this art in hand, finally fleshed out the iconic look that would sustain the weapon.With a turnaround of under 120 days from receiving concept art, H&K rolls out it's formal live trail prototypes, 30 units available in 3 models : Baseline Carbine, Compact Carbine, and Support Weapon.
Internally, these are functionally identical to,though not interchangeable with, G36s. They used G36 Translucent magazines, and they retained that very 2000s determination to have optical sights intrinsic to the weapon platform.

One of the key selling points the XM8 ran on was the PCAP mounting system- a No-zero-shift mounting system that.. functionally is just big M-LOK. It just is. Two studs on the accessory go into diamond/tear-shaped holes on the gun and outward in opposition to retain it.This really leaned into one of the driving goals of the program, which was to make a properly modular platform. While the barrel mounting and push-pin system did a lot for the "big stuff", this mission specific accessory kind of accessory systems stuff was not really "a thing" in the non-SF world, and this was very much seen as a better more Grunt-proof solution.

Come 2004, the XM8 hit Spiral 2, onboarding the feedback, and going out for mass trials to the tune of 300 units. This time however, the ISM was finally good for the launch, and was issued with these units, mounted to the weapon on PCAP points behind the carry handle. Again, positive feedback with the troops for the most part. (ret) General Petraeus was enamoured with the compact weapon he trialled that he carried one for the remainder of his tour in Iraq.
The feedback on the ISM in particular was a very mixed bag. On one hand, the IR and visible lasers being slaved and integrated to the sight were handy and useful, the Battery life and ruggedness of the sight were sticking points. Other than that, it is just a red dot, and does what red dots do, and also holds a lower third co-witness on the back-up sights.
The PCAP-mount ISM was not the only version of the sight that InSight made. Concurrently, the ISM was made available to the commercial and Law-Enforcement with the ISM-V and ISM 1400-A7 respectively. The major differences between the 2 is one is Red-laser only, and one is IR light and laser, both coming with an additional white-light and the capacity for a pressure pad link.
Impressive tech aside, it suffers the same problems of the XM8-exclusive version.
To give the XM8 support weapon variant proper outreach to a Designated Marksman role, Insight developed the AMO - The Advanced Magnified Optic. It's a 4x prismatic optic, with the same laser slave zeroing. It's basically a fancy ACOG, with a factory standard Sunshade.

Ironically, the most successful component of the whole XM8 platform. Seeing as the OICW was still a no-show, the XM8 needed a viable Grenade launcher complement, and it needed to do at least better than an M203 to be worth it. H&K already had a solution - the AG-36/AG-C. Not only was it ready, it did outperform the 203- it could take High-pressure and over-length 40mm rounds, was safer and more ergonomic. A complement in a picatinny/standalone launcher was also sought, and also quickly filled by the AG-C, and while the XM-8 specific version died with the program, the 320 itself went on with some additional tooling, to become the standard infantry Grenade Launcher for the US Armed Forces.

Now here's where the cats and pigeons start fighting. Because the XM8s were ostensibly an outgrowth of an R&D program, their trials up to this point were kind of treated like extended R&D by the arms makers in the US. However, with the acceptance to trials of 300 units, formal X-designation, and Army Procurement seriously considering these as viable contenders, said arms makers raised hell about not being even considered in the race. This halts the program's further expanded troop trials, and the litigation began. By 2005,from the US military side, the XM8 project was cancelled. However, one last effort by H&K was made in the interim.
Spiral 3 (also known as the XM8-R) was submitted to the MWSF and SCAR trials and pitted against the FN SCAR-L and HK416, and with a 18k Mean Failure to Fire on dust tests kind of walked all over the competition. The new controls and magazines didn't impress however, and the XM8 development was truly functionally dead.
H&K continued for about 4 years to offer this XM8, sans US Government markings, to Military and law enforcement worldwide as the GVM8, however the only meaningful adopted was some sporadic purchases of the weapon by Malaysian Navy Special forces ( to bolster purchases of G36KVs). After that, the story ends.

The NIArms pack as delivered gives you the a deep cut through the Xm8's pre-service life, from the first functional demonstration models, to it's End of life in the MWSF, with everything in between and more. A Slew of Optics, colour selections, and other attachments gives you the functions for a proper Future Warrior fit-out.
Classnames-
===========

=== List is too Long for Description box, please see readme or initial changelog===



Patrons, to whom with this was made possible-
============
Oleg Savenok
Duy Nguyen
Beags and Jam
Jacob Segriff
Paramarine Task Force
Alexander Lopez
Dr Doll
Gray -Trilug- H
Gordo
Subby Lil' Cassie
Daniel Shade
BlueNexus
Agent
Winder
Rosteroster
Mia Kesanen
SmashT
E3245
Kaytro
Rachel Stafford
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xYISKAx
Paul Linfor
TheColdPanda
Björn Dahlgren
B0dey
Flynn M
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blackfisch
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Lucas Esteve
Poopbong69
ChosenUsername333
GrimmZero
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Blake Meyer
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simkas
StalkerSoC
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Matt C
Rob Sullivan
Tim Kersten
Evan Ding
Part Time Canadian
Jonathan Gutierrez
Ben Løve
CHA
Nico Schneider
John Moravec
Aced170
Ranger Dave
Grimnir25
Segur
Daniel Paoliello
31 Comments
Gamma Jul 24 @ 2:09am 
Might be a few years late but for those of you asking to use the G36 reload animation, why? The XM8 has a bolt release in the trigger guard.
Oxygen Mar 23 @ 8:46pm 
Just a heads up, it appears that with the recent update to the mod the XM8's will despawn at random intervals, as well as the XM320's being removed during reload animations, not sure if that's been noted or if there's a better place to post for hotfixes but it's definitely an issue.
Frosted Flake Nov 24, 2022 @ 6:02am 
Any chance of at least using the G36 reload animation? With the charging handle and all?
Jackson00450 Mar 5, 2022 @ 6:44pm 
Love the weapons, but all the sights are too much far away from the sighting node. It's a bit hard to aim accurately, and it kinda broke the immersion. Is ther a way to make the (RHS and other mods) sights closer?
Blackbomber Jan 28, 2022 @ 5:33pm 
No reload animation. The XM8 reloads the same way as the G36, where you pull back on the charging handle. Pretty lazy considering you already have that reload animation on your G36 mod where you pull back on the charging handle.
liwocom Oct 2, 2021 @ 5:32am 
CSW XM8 is better than this.
STW_Tia Sep 11, 2021 @ 8:45am 
Hey, you mod looks great! Sadly I don't get any non-supressed weapons sounds or a reload animation ... maybe a mod conflict? I have the all-in-one pack and JSRS with NiArms Compatibility loaded along that ... anyways thanks for finally bringing high quality XM8 to Arma <3
brendob47 Sep 9, 2021 @ 9:02am 
I like seeing the actual PCAP instead of CUP's Picatinny-mounted accessories!
Tokyo Cowboy Sep 8, 2021 @ 3:49pm 
Would you be able to make clean versions of the modular variants (MWSF) like the prototype ones pretty please? Awesome work by the way, many thanks.
Gen. A. Hunter [5th Marines] Sep 7, 2021 @ 12:13am 
no reload animation?