In the world of military procurement, innovation will more often be the result of getting around bureaucratic red tape rather than discovering a new technology. In the instance of the United States Army Special Forces, innovation involved a well-crafted requirements list that resulted in one of the finest side arms ever created, the Glock 19.
For a long period of time, the Beretta M9 was the standard-issue sidearm of choice in the U.S. military. The M9 was chosen in 1985 and replaced the trusted M1911 pistol and introduced the “NATO” 9mm cartridge in the process. Although it faithfully served through the end of the Cold War era and through the GWOT era as well, it was not without its criticisms. The special operations community, who see a turnover in their sidearms at a rate well beyond standard military circles, began to look for other options well in advance.
Delta Force and Army Rangers had already been transitioning to Glocks because of the lighter weight of polymer frames and striker fire designs. The new generation of Special Forces personnel who entered through 18X also brought with them a preference for Glocks based on their background involvement in shooting sports. The procurement cycle was focused on M9 and then the Modular Handgun System, for which SIG Sauer M17/M18 were chosen.
The turning point for the adoption of this pistol among the Special Forces was during the mid-2000s, when the leadership of the Special Forces Command identified a practical need for the use of such a pistol, specifically for the missions that involved wearing civilian clothes. Although the requirement was mission-specific, it just so happened that it met the specifications for the exact pistol that was needed, which was the Glock 19 pistol. The 9mm pistol, which was produced in Austria, was compact enough for concealed carry but still robust enough for the type of operations that were conducted by the SOCOM forces.
Strenuous testing ensued, and the Glock 19 performed flawlessly. At first, its distribution was limited as it was issued selectively for missions and then distributed from one Alpha Detachment to another based on mission requirements. However, in 2016, it was officially adopted by SOCOM for use by all its components so that the US Army Special Forces could issue it to their personnel fully. The function of this pistol was further broadened with the adoption of the Trijicon RMR Type 2 Red Dot Sight by SOCOM in 2018.
This is a great example of a case study that demonstrates how particular requirements can surmount general procurement challenges. It is not that different from other selective procurements that have been done in US military history, such as that of Heckler & Koch HK416, which was chosen by the Marine Corps as the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle. HK416 began its service within special forces communities, where it is currently being employed in general-issue capacity. While the general program within the Army’s MHS specified that it needed a modular, multi-caliber system that would replace old M9s, Special Forces were seeking a system that possessed a greater degree of operational effectiveness at a given level of their development, even if it was not adaptable.
While Glock 19 might not have won a general military procurement, it certainly served its purpose within SOCOM by targeting a requirement in a highly precise manner. It proved that in some cases, modernization occurs because of a carefully aimed requirement that hits exactly what is needed.
