The U.S. Army has assigned the XM8 designation to its new 6.8mm carbine, recycling a designation previously used for a failed rifle program from the early 2000s. The original XM8 was part of a family of small arms that the Army once appeared poised to adopt during that earlier period.
The reuse of military designations reflects standard Pentagon practice when previous programs are canceled or abandoned. The new XM8 carbine represents the Army's ongoing effort to modernize its small arms with the 6.8mm round, moving away from traditional 5.56mm ammunition.