Wiki...
"Fielded" would imply its in operational service somewhere, which it is not.
Nothing in the Wiki contradicts that, or states that it is "fielded" as of now... at best it refers to that it was MEANT to be "fielded" in 2005, and that a "2005" JDW article (unspecific date so its kinda hard digging the article up...) stating that funds to acquire 10400 units in "2006" has been set aside...
The XM-8 still need to win the tender for that to happen.
What was "good" about the blog I linked to was that it quoted parts of the OICW Increment I tender document, not that it had interesting information regarding the OICW Increment 1 weapon system itself.
Here's a better source for the same text;
http://www.defensereview.com/modules...rticle&sid=706
I was hoping that the official procnet page would come alive and allow a direct link to the official document, but its as dead today as it was yesterday, so the document seems to have been removed from there
Still, I have no beef with the appearance of the M-8 within the dates used in the obat (2007-2010?). Allowing a year between procurement and field use is good practice since infrastructure and training needs to be built around the new system. Such an assumption is a reasonably credible prediction.
But the XM-29 and XM-25 being the standard weapon of certain units from 1 Jan of 2005... that would imply its been "fielded" as a standard issue weapon for 7 months already... That the OICW Increment-II system would be fielded before the OICW Increment-I is a bit unlikely wouldn't you say?
No sources I've come across state that the OICW Increment II or III is anywhere near entering service, quite the opposite. The XM-25 25mm GL may well be along the way, but its ammunition isn't ready to be produced yet AFAIK. The 20mm grenade system was deemed unviable, it was almost all fuze f e...
OICW Increment-I is basically the XM-8 family of weapons, perhaps in combination with some new NV gear derived from the Landwarrior project (parts of which have been field-trialed).
What has happened is that even this project is "delayed" since a tender has been put forth, and a "competition" between alternative systems will be held.
Even if the XM-8's win this, it will be another delay in "fielding" the system.
Unfortunately even the tender has been put on hold...
http://www2.eps.gov/spg/USA/USAMC/DA...SynopsisR.html
http://www.dod.mil/releases/2005/nr20050719-4101.html
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/....php#orison_mc