The United States Army has begun testing the 50mm XM913 Bushmaster cannon as part of the development of the new XM30 infantry fighting vehicle, designed to replace the M2 Bradley.
In total, 16 units of armament were ordered from Northrop Grumman and have already started to be delivered to the units responsible for evaluating the system.
The XM30 appears as a project considered transformational, betting on greater firepower, improved protection and broad modernization capacity through a modular architecture. The proposal is to overcome the upgrade limits of the Bradley and offer a platform that is more adaptable to future battlefield needs.
The XM913 cannon, the largest in the Bushmaster line, uses 50×228 mm ammunition and was designed to guarantee stable shots even on movement. Weighing approximately 314 kg, the system is already being integrated into the XM30 prototypes developed by GDLS and Rheinmetall, in addition to having previously been tested on platforms such as the LAV 700 during the Convergence 21 project.
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At the same time, BAE Systems is leading the development of a new generation combat vehicle in partnership with Elbit America, Curtiss-Wright and QinetiQ. Elbit contributes the UT50 unmanned turret, equipped with the XM913 cannon and an advanced ammunition feeding system, reinforcing the trend towards greater automation and flexibility in the US Army’s future armored vehicles.
Source: Militarnyi | Photo: X @Defence_IDA | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
The US Army has ordered 16 XM913 50mm Bushmaster chain guns to support testing of its future XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle, marking a major upgrade in battlefield firepower. The 50mm cannon offers higher lethality, dual-feed ammunition selection, and reliable… pic.twitter.com/B2lRAMw1fR
— International Defence Analysis (@Defence_IDA) January 12, 2026
