U.S. Special Operations Command is looking for a new machine gun that weighs about 10 pounds and fires 5.56x45mm NATO rounds, said Navy Cmdr. The command expects to award a contract for the machine gun in late next year, Vermette said. The War Zone first reported in May about the effort by Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, to find a new lightweight machine gun for special operators. The weapon will replace the MK17 SCAR-H Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle-Heavy. The MK24 features a “quick-change swappable barrel” that allows it to fire both 7.62mm and 6.5mm Creedmoor rounds, Vermette said at the time.