The video opens at SHOT Show 2026 at the MARS booth, where the host is joined by Shelly and Skyler to discuss a new 30mm semi-automatic grenade launcher. They introduce it as the 30mm Squad Support Rifle System, designed as a multi-role asset for small units. Skyler explains that the primary training round is a 2,000-grain practice projectile traveling at about 660 feet per second, with a maximum effective range of roughly 500 meters. Next, they showcase the Huntsman counter-drone round, which leaves the muzzle at around 960 feet per second and has a maximum effective range of about 150 meters. They show a cardboard target that was engaged at 50 meters to demonstrate the kind of damage pattern it produces. The round deploys a 5.5-inch blade spread, inspired by the aggressive Huntsman spider from Australia, to increase the chance of bringing down small unmanned aerial systems. For close quarters, they describe a CQB round that launches 30 pellets of single-aught buckshot, also produced in-house, with an approximate 35-meter effective range, giving the launcher a shotgun-like role. The magazine currently holds up to five rounds. They also mention that an ammunition partner is developing high explosive, programmable airburst, and point and area proximity rounds, indicating that the system is intended to support a broad range of mission profiles as the ammo family matures.
The conversation moves to the program the launcher is being developed for: the U.S. Army’s Precision Grenadier System (PGS). Shelly explains that MARS is competing in this program and that the Army is expected to release a formal request for proposals shortly after SHOT Show, likely in February. Industry will have about 45 days to submit proposals. In the spring, the Army plans to select up to two companies from a field of roughly four or five competitors to receive a research and development contract worth about $36 million. That phase will last around 12 to 18 months, during which the selected systems will be refined and evaluated. After that, the Army will conduct demonstrations and ultimately choose one company to field the new grenadier system. They emphasize that the MARS 30mm SSRS is still in development but has produced very promising results so far. The host then asks why the Army is moving away from legacy 40mm systems like the M203 when people typically associate those with military grenade launchers. Shelly explains that modern requirements call for much more precise engagements at distances of 500 to 600 meters, including the ability to place rounds through small openings and engage targets behind cover at nearly twice the range of older launchers. By extending effective range and improving accuracy, the 30mm system is intended to give soldiers better standoff and increase their chances of surviving and winning engagements.
In the technical segment, the presenters focus on how the MARS 30mm SSRS is built and why 30mm was chosen. They describe the launcher as using a rifled 30mm barrel, with the projectiles featuring driving bands that engage the rifling to impart spin, which stabilizes the rounds and improves accuracy at longer distances. The 30mm caliber is presented as a deliberate balance: 40mm projectiles are relatively heavy and difficult to push accurately out to 600 meters, while 25mm rounds do not offer the desired payload and terminal performance for a squad support role. The weapon’s controls and ergonomics are patterned after the AR-15 platform to make it familiar and intuitive for users already trained on standard service rifles. Instead of a traditional spring buffer system, the launcher incorporates a patented pneumatic damping mechanism in the stock to manage recoil from the large 30mm cartridges, with plans to introduce a collapsible, adjustable buttstock in future iterations. Mounted on the gun at the show is a Smart Shooter optic from Israel. The optic can track and lock onto targets, and it is designed so that the weapon will not fire until the system confirms a proper lock, helping the shooter place rounds more accurately. This capability is highlighted as particularly useful for counter-drone roles, since the optic can integrate the launcher’s ballistic data into its fire-control logic to improve hit probability on small, moving aerial targets.
To close out the discussion, the presenters talk about where the MARS 30mm SSRS is headed in terms of fire control and advanced ammunition. They stress that while the Smart Shooter optic is a strong starting point, the Precision Grenadier System will ultimately require a purpose-built fire-control solution. The envisioned optic would integrate a laser rangefinder, moving-target tracking, and a ballistic computer that communicates directly with smart munitions. Future 30mm rounds are expected to include embedded electronics and proximity sensors, allowing the launcher to program each projectile to function after a specific distance or time of flight, or when it comes close to a target. This would enable airburst and proximity effects against enemies in defilade or drones in flight. The concept is compared to the earlier OICW programmable munition efforts from the mid-2000s, with the presenters noting that advances in computing power, sensors, and miniaturization now make such capabilities far more practical and reliable than they were in previous generations. The video wraps up by acknowledging that the MARS system is still evolving but already showing strong potential, and the host encourages viewers to follow MARS and Classic Firearms for more SHOT Show 2026 coverage before signing off.
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